Toys ‘R’ Us Files for Bankruptcy Ahead of Holiday Season

Toys ‘R’ Us Files for Bankruptcy Ahead of Holiday Season
People walk past Toys R Us in Times Square the day after Christmas in the Manhattan borough of New York on Dec. 26, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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Toys ‘R’ Us Inc, the largest U.S. toy store chain, filed for bankruptcy protection late Monday, the latest sign of turmoil in the retail industry that is caught in a viselike grip of online shopping and discount chains.

The Chapter 11 filing is among the largest ever by a specialty retailer and casts doubt over the future of its about 1,600 stores and 64,000 employees. It comes just as Toys ‘R’ Us is gearing up for the holiday shopping season, which accounts for the bulk of its sales.