Joan Verdon|NorthJersey
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Need to buy a super hero doll super fast? Or to pick up a new baby stroller without taking the baby out of the car? Toys R Us is now offering drive-up pickup for online orders at 28 of its stores, including nine in New Jersey.
Toys R Us has joined the ranks of retailers ranging from supermarkets and drugstores to ritzy department stores offering curbside pickup. Curbside pickup is seen as the next must-have evolution of buy-online, pick-up in-store services that brick and mortar retailers currently offer.
Target this month announced that it was testing curbside pickup at 50 stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul after ending a previous curbside pilot program that included stores in New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Walmart has rolled out curbside pickup for groceries to hundreds of its stores.
Upscale department store Nordstrom, Sears, CVSand numerous supermarket chains also offer curbside pickup.
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Toy R Us’ curbside pickup pilot was in the works long before the Wayne, N.J.-based toy retailer filed for bankruptcy protection in September. But since the bankruptcy, Toys R Us executives and attorneys have promised creditors and the bankruptcy judge repeatedly that the company is working overtime to let customers shop when, where, and how they want.
Curbside pickup could be a godsend for parents during the holiday rush, allowing them to puchase toys easily without dealing with crowds and linesBut it may come at a cost for Toys R Us, said Lauren Bitar, director of retail consulting for analytics firm RetailNext.
“If a retailer is going to invest in it, they have to consider the tradeoff,” Bitar said. “There is that convenience for the shopper, but it does decrease your store traffic and takes away the ability to purchase impulse items and your supplementary items,” she said.
It also presents staffing challenges, particularly at the peak busy times during the holiday season, Bitar said.
Toy analyst Jim Silver, editor of TTPM (Toys, Tots, Pets & More), a leading toy review website, said he expects curbside pickup will be most beneficial for parents buying large items, such as Power Wheels ride-on vehicles, or strollers or car seats, which are bulky to carry out of the storeand expensive to ship.
Curbside could come in handy “when you need a birthday present for that day,” Silver said.
In most instances, he said, online shoppers don’t need a toy immediately and are willing to wait for it to be delivered to their home.
To use the drive up service, customers place orders online, and select the “In-store Pick-Up” option. They are notified by email when their order is ready. At the store, they park in a designated parking spot and call the store. Theorder is brought to their car.
The New Jersey stores with drive-up delivery are the Toys R Us stores in Freehold, Paramus (two stores), Totowa, and Wayne; and Babies R Us stores in North Brunswick, Bridgewater, Paramus, and Totowa.
List of Toy R Us and Babies R Us stores offering curbside pickup
California
- Toys R Us Santa Ana, 3900 Bristol St., Bristol Sunflower Plaza, Suite B, Santa Ana, California.
- Babies R Us Serramonte, 775 Serramonte Boulevard, Colma,California.
Florida
- Toys R Us Citrus Park, 12845 Citrus Plaza Drive, Tampa, Florida.
- Toys R Us Brandon, 330 Brandon Town Center Boulevard, Brandon, Florida.
- Toys R Us Lakeland, 3770 U.S. 98 North, Lakeland, Florida.
Georgia
- Babies R Us Alpharetta, 6380 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, Georgia.
- Babies R Us Douglasville, 6875 Douglas Blvd., Douglasville, Georgia.
- Babies R Us Conyers, 8160 Mall Parkway, Lithonia, Georgia.
- Babies R Us Newnan, 221 Newnan Crossing Bypass, Newnan, Georgia.
- Babies R Us Kennesaw, 1875 Greers Chapel Road, Kennesaw, Georgia.
Michigan
- Toys R Us Muskegon, 5363 Harvey St., Norton Shores, Michigan.
Nevada
- Babies R Us NW Las Vegas, 2150 North Rainbow Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Babies R Us Spring Valley, 7020 Arroyo Crossing, Las Vegas, Nevada.
New Jersey
- Toys R Us Freehold, 600 Trotter Way, Freehold, New Jersey.
- Toys R Us Paramus, 250 East Route 4, Paramus, New Jersey.
- Toys R Us Paramus II, 634 Route 17 North at Ridgewood Ave. Paramus, New Jersey.
- Toys R Us Totowa, 445 U.S. Highway 46, Totowa, New Jersey.
- Toys R Us Wayne, 7 Wayne Hills Mall, Wayne, New Jersey.
- Babies R Us Bridgewater, 100 Promenade Blvd., Bridgewater, New Jersey.
- Babies R Us North Brunswick, 909 U.S. Highway 1 South, North Brunswick, New Jersey.
- Babies R Us Paramus, 545 Highway 17 South, Paramus, New Jersey.
- Babies R Us Totowa, 465 U.S. Highway 46, Totowa, New Jersey.
New York
- Toys R Us Nanuet, 122 East Route 59, Nanuet, New York.
- Toys R Us Middletown, 88 Dunning Road, Middletown, New York.
- Toys R Us Yonkers, 1000 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, New York.
- Babies R Us Nanuet, 250 East Route 59, Nanuet, New York.
- Babies R Us Middletown, 88 Dunning Road, Middletown, New York.
Texas
- Babies R Us McAllen, 3300 West Expressway 83, Suite 500, McAllen, Texas.
