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Too bad....
Not too long ago Child World and Toys r Us were able to survive on the same block.
I'm guessing the Toy departments in places like Walmart and Target are good enough now? Or has Amazon and online shopping done the damage?
My kids always looked forward for the "treat" of going to this store. Henry Bears Park and other small ones are ok, but pretty much had the exact same stuff as these larger stores.
edit: I'm guessing specialty video game stores also have effected these stores as well.
To be honest
That location was looking bad back when Waquiot Jr. needed a Diaper Genie (if you are expecting a kid and using disposables, get one of these.) Compared to the Framingham store, which even to an adult is like dying and going to heaven, the Dedham store was a dinky little thing.
I was watching something on Toys R Us. The problem isn't the market for a big box toy store chain. They were bought through a leveraged buyout, meaning they suddenly had beaucoup debt. Target has an okay toy section, but it pales in comparison to this store, let alone the larger locations.
Dinky now, yes ...
But once the Toys R Us was huge, back when it was where Ocean State Job Lot is now.
Look Gaffin
I went to that location back when it first opened. I remember that happy time (for a kid) when there was a Child World at one end of the Dedham Mall area and Toys R Us at the other end (though only Bradlees, Sears, and an electronic games store in the mall proper.) Those were truly the glory days of the Dedham Mall.
not to mention
The pet store and Original Cookie
ToysRUs Grand opening
At the Dedham Grand Opening they had costumed Geoffrey, a Superman and other characters. I had a choice to go to my kiddie bowling league or the opening celebration. I chose the league and was one of the only kids my age to show that day.
The electronics game store in the mall was Game Shack, across from Stoppies when it was in the Mall... Maybe A&P back then. I forget.
And don't forget
The Sbarro.
Nor Sal
The Sicilian guy who worked there for most of it's run. It almost gave the place a bit of authenticity.
At one time I had a girlfriend at Cummings, an evil ex at Montillio's (old Kodak Kisok next to Bradlees) and a drama queen ex at Afterthoughts. After a few months of dealing with that, the drama queen disappears and then shows up working at Sbarro *very* pregnant many months later. I never did math in my head so quick and so gut-wrenching in my life.
LBOs are evil
They have killed too many viable businesses that were useful and provided employment.
Yup!
If it wasn't for that evil LBO, this retail toy business would be thriving. I can't believe the LBO caused the mass migration of consumers from big box retail to Amazon. Sad!
Yeah, but
Toys R Us sales didn't really drop too sharply over the years, but their balance sheet looks horrible due to debt service. So while you would be right for Office Max and Radio Shack, you're off on Toys R Us.
Not too long ago?
Child World went out of business 26 years ago.
What's next for that location?
If it wasn't for the Lowe's, I'd think that location would be ripe to be knocked down and replaced by a mixed use development but I don't know if that's feasible or not?
Seems like a good spot for a Target or Trader Joes but then Target is opening their ministore here in Roslindale so maybe that's too much saturation.
Empty retail space...
Not sure about Sears (A target could easily fit in there), but the Toys R Us was small enough for a smaller retail place to go in.
It could
but I would think the property owner/management might want to keep that whole area empty on that side until they can figure out a master plan to revitalize it. Lowe's is clearly it's own structure as it was tacked onto the 'mall' long after the initial construction.
I grew up in Dedham and remember the Child World
which later became a Circuit City and is now where Bob's Discount Furniture is located.
I haven't been to the Dedham Mall area in a while, but I remember when the Toys R Us was built. It was further down (Route 1) towards the Levitz Furniture store. Is that where the store currently is, or did they move it?
Stop & Shop used to be inside the mall back in the day, with Bradlee's, Sears and Woolworth's as the other major tenants. But I always savored trips to the York Steak House, which for some reason I loved when I was younger.
The original Toys R Us
Is now an Ocean State Job Lot. Where York Steak House was is now Unos.
Before that
The current Bob's was a quonset hut-shaped Stop & Shop before they moved into the mall, and Child World was in the current Staples location.
Got my first toy shotgun there
Fondest of memories
yep....
I remember riding my bike from Rozzie to the old Toys R. Us to buy the new Donkey Kong game for the Atari 2600. It was a white cartridge and I was the hero of the neighborhood when I added it to my collection.
Very sad
Very sad to see this TRU and Babies R Us go. We go there all the time--almost weekly. TRU has great deals if you have the credit card, and they send you so many coupons.
Are there any other TRUs in the Boston area anymore? It has been many years since the TRU in South Bay (South Boston/Dorchester) closed.
Shoppers World location is worth the visit
Or at least it was the last time I was there.
The Westgate Mall would be another option down in Brockton, and there's a Babies R Us in Braintree overlooking Route 3 by the Braintree T Station, but that is purely baby stuff.
That's also closing
see "Framingham" above.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Yeah, the Shoppers World
Yeah, the Shoppers World location in Framingham is really nice, but that one is being closed as well.
It would have been easier to
It would have been easier to list which stores are actually staying open.
What will remain open at the Dedham ex-Mall
with Sears and Toys R Us both closed?
Their mall directory no longer lists those two stores but still lists Radio Shack, so I don't really trust it.
rats, desperation, and
rats, desperation, and teenage angst?
They have a bunch of stores that do well (or appear busy)
TJMaxx, Old navy, DSW, Foot Action.
Tons of easy parking there too.
When they put the new Dedham
When they put the new Dedham Mall in over the old one I thought it was so fancy...lol. Thinking of the old mall now...Bradless, Brighams, Irish Cottage, Woolworth's. It was so gross.
Child World was the best. When Toy R Us moved in I was torn:) I thought the CW was where the Bob's is now; not the Staples?
I'm with you on Child World
To the extent that I would place a small wager that it is the same building. Not a big wager, but the footprint is the same.
Joining the likes of Lechmere
Joining the likes of Lechmere, Fretter, Caldor, Bradlees, Somerville Lumber, etc.
Along those same lines... Is
Along those same lines... Is JoAnn Fabrics every going to re-open?