Toys ‘R’ Us filed bankruptcy protection this week, caving to pressure that the New Jersey-based company has felt from its $5 billion in debt and stiff competition from online retailers such as Amazon, the Associated Press reported.
While the company said that its roughly 1,600 stores will remain open through the crucial holiday season, the internet took the news pretty hard.
As in Woody and Buzz Lightyear facing the incinerator in “Toy Story 3” hard.
Just look at this GIF suggesting that Toys ‘R’ Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe has met a very bad fate:
TOYS `R' US IS SAID TO PLAN BANKRUPTCY FILING AS SOON AS TODAY
(Look away kids…) pic.twitter.com/PID8kSZvEI
— NOD (@NOD008) September 18, 2017
Toys R Us is broke.
Geoffrey right now … pic.twitter.com/zPlCSHeC9A
— Steven R. Walker (@Steve_R_Walker) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/ItsMeAmphy/status/909870352808980480
https://twitter.com/_DadLife/status/909890855745540096
Many in the Twitterverse also went the nostalgia route, posting memories of past experiences in the stores — and old ad campaigns.
RIP Toys R Us pic.twitter.com/ijtWAS7l8d
— Tristan (@AyoTristan) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/MovieGuyBill/status/910120743580643328
https://twitter.com/Elly123/status/910061669094739968
https://twitter.com/Crukkadile/status/910137321101582336
rip toys r us and rip my childhood pic.twitter.com/jz4pSZl2cV
— Matt 🇳🇴 (@thcfastestman) September 19, 2017
RIP Toys R Us. pic.twitter.com/rSSspzsjrf
— STANLEY CUP CHAMP Ms. Mambo (@Ms_Mambo) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/BillyHurls/status/910136861473038336
According to ZeroHedge, Toys ‘R’ Us’ Chapter 11 filing is the second largest retail bankruptcy in U.S. history, following only Kmart’s in 2002.