PAB in TRU?

[Matt Dawson]

Here's an idea.

Everybody likes PAB becuase it allows them to buy elements without having to buy special packs. Toys 'R' Us has a special relationship with lego. Why not allow TRU to run PAB from their stores? An attendant (maybe two) would be all that were needed - and it would allow much more flexibilty where Lego don't have a store. I'm afraid that looking up a website to buy parts isn't the same as dipping in a container and putting them in a pot...

Afterall you can buy most Lego sets in TRU (including the 'Battle' or 'supply' pack ones) except for the exclusives. What does anyone think?

Edited September 11, 2009 by Matt Dawson

[pesgores]

Totally agreed.

[Big Cam]

Great idea, but I think the amount of LEGO bricks needed to fuflill the hundreds of Toys R US stores would be too great, as opposed to the handfull of LEGO stores around the world which is much easier to manage. Plus I think it's kind of their exclusive thing, "only at LEGO stores"

Probabaly the same reason you can't buy LEGO keychains or watches or exclusive stuff like the chrome stormie. LEGO has to have something all their own.

I totally agree that'd it'd be a good thing for the consumer, but I think it's not a wise move on LEGO's part.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Big Cam

[Oky]

Not a good idea IMO. TRU always inflates Lego prices, and PAB is expensive enough as it is. Plus Big Cam is right: Aside from exclusives and an outstanding variety of sets, PAB is what makes Lego Stores so special.

[BryanKinkel]

My local LEGO store, in King of Prussia PA, is always very clean, neat and tidy.

My TRUs - not so much.

I can only imagine the mess that a TRU PAB area would create....

[salty tbone]

My local LEGO store, in King of Prussia PA, is always very clean, neat and tidy.

My TRUs - not so much.

I can only imagine the mess that a TRU PAB area would create....

very true (on all counts -- KoP is a great store. be sure to always ask if they have any other bricks not yet in the bins. they usually do). The PAB requires constant attention which is much easier in a Lego store than a large Toys R Us. I would love more access to Pick-a-brick, but it likely won't happen.

[Eskallon]

It would be a lovely thing but heres the reasons why it would never happen:

1.TRU would have to have someone watching over the bricks.

2.Lego would have dropped sales in there PAB,in the stores.

3.Not special for the lego store.

4.Nobody would really buy from TRU unless they had too seen as they would rise the prices of it all.

5.Lego would find it hard to send so many lego pieces to so many TRU's

[Oky]

Some very good points.

Besides, there is always the PAB on S@H.

[Ralph_S]

Interestingly, about three or four years ago most TRUs in The Netherlands had small PaB selection as did some German stores. I don't think I ever saw any attendants. The parts were alway a bit limited and it wasn't cheap, but I did get some good parts there every once in a while. As far as I know none of the stores still have them now, although I haven't been to many of the stores in question in the last few years. I can only speculate why.

Cheers,

Ralph

[The Green Brick Giant]

Are you trying to close LEGO down?

I only know of two TRUs within like 70 miles of my house, there isn't a chance in hell they wouldn't have all the pieces stolen within a week.

[Big Cam]

Are you trying to close LEGO down?

I only know of two TRUs within like 70 miles of my house, there isn't a chance in hell they wouldn't have all the pieces stolen within a week.

I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't one of the main reasons. LEGO stores are usually smaller and more open, hence easier to watch items. Toys R Us stores are huge and have many aisles and the manpower just isn't there to monitor the BAP station all day.

[Commander Assassin]

I would be more than happy to have PaB in TRU! The reason be is that there is not one Lego store in Michigan!

The only time I get to go to a Lego store is once or twice a year, driving 4 hours down to the Chicago location. Even though the nearest TRU is about a 1/2 hour away, it would be a whole lot easier to drive there.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Clone Commander Assassin

[The Green Brick Giant]

I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't one of the main reasons. LEGO stores are usually smaller and more open, hence easier to watch items. Toys R Us stores are huge and have many aisles and the manpower just isn't there to monitor the BAP station all day.

That's not just the problem. In the LEGO Store different people show there, more honest people. The two TRUs around me are in horrible sections, and the people who work there don't care because their souls have been drained from them.

[Big Cam]

That's not just the problem. In the LEGO Store different people show there, more honest people. The two TRUs around me are in horrible sections, and the people who work there don't care because their souls have been drained from them.

Reatil work usually does that to a person. Unlike LEGO, I would love to work there.

[VBBN]

No. Not only is PAB on Lego's website expensive enough, but with TRU price inflations things would be even worse.

I would be more than happy to have PaB in TRU! The reason be is that there is not one Lego store in Michigan!

The only time I get to go to a Lego store is once or twice a year, driving 4 hours down to the Chicago location. Even though the nearest TRU is about a 1/2 hour away, it would be a whole lot easier to drive there.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I think it is one of the next possible places to get one though.

[ILikePi]

Not a good idea IMO. TRU always inflates Lego prices, and PAB is expensive enough as it is. Plus Big Cam is right: Aside from exclusives and an outstanding variety of sets, PAB is what makes Lego Stores so special.

I concur! Also, don't forget special features in LEGO Stores like the 3-D display box thing (forgot the actual name ), small screens that are built into the walls that show some advertisements (I love looking at those!), and those displays of the large and popular sets. If TRU got those things (and especially PaB), LEGO Stores would lose their charm authenticity.

In the LEGO Store different people show there, more honest people.

That's probably because the workers are huge LEGO fans themselves, and enjoy having other LEGO fans around them in the same store. Edited September 12, 2009 by ILikePi

[The Green Brick Giant]

That's probably because the workers are huge LEGO fans themselves, and enjoy having other LEGO fans around them in the same store.

True, but I mean the people who shop in the LEGO Store are not scum bags who would steal everything that isn't bolted down. The TRUs i know are in terrible sections of cities while the LEGO Stores are placed on the fact they are in up scale richy areas.

But yes, someone steals somethnig at TRU people most likely won't care, someone does at The LEGO Store they will kill you.

Also TRU is sexist, women can have purses and bags, but I have a backpack (full of clothing because I just came back from a trip) and they hunt me down!

[blueandwhite]

Also TRU is sexist, women can have purses and bags, but I have a backpack (full of clothing because I just came back from a trip) and they hunt me down!

In fairness; most women use purses and bags to carry their personal items including their wallets and identification. Wearing a backpack into a store looks a tad more suspicious. If a woman was walking around the store with a backpack instead of a purse, security would probably have their eyes on that woman as well.

As for a Toys R Us PAB; while I'm not opposed to the idea, I can't see it being very viable. As others have said, restocking it would be a nightmare given the sheer number of Toys R Us retailers out there. It would also require careful monitoring. I've only been to one PAB at LEGOLAND, but the store wasn't that big. Toys R Us is a very large retail outlet with a number of rows and isles. I could see pickpocketing becoming a very common trend amongst dishonest consumers. As I said before, I like the idea, however I can't see it working out when put into practice.

[Matt Dawson]

I wasn't exactly suggesting it be in EVERY store...just a selected few (to even up the spread of Lego).

I used to have a Lego store within 10 miles of me in Birmingham (I'm in the UK), but they closed down - therefore the only chance to buy Lego was at Woolworths (now gone under), Toys R Us and Argos. All stocking pretty much the same stuff, too. And all at about the same prices (i.e. more).

The price thing. I would've thought that it would be on the codition that it is at Lego prices, but with profit shared between them. I'm sorry, but why should Lego stores be built in areas which don't need them. The UK stores are in Brighton, Milton Keynes (or however you spell it) and Bluewater. All fairly close to London, and not giving any other of the areas a look in. Why not close the one in Miltin Keynes - the Birmingham store relocated to a cheaper location (it was in the Bullring) would be a much better option.

[brickzone]

We don't have Lego Stores or ToysRus here in Ireland (at least, not in the Republic - Northern Ireland has TRU I think). Nevertheless, I'd love if there was Pick-a-brick at Smyth's Toys, the main toy chain here. They do at least sell nearly the full range of Lego, very well stocked (only major absences are exclusives and some of the accessories like Chess sets, minifig packs, and they only had City advent calendar instore last year). However, it's probably a non-runner for various reasons - although apparently the main Smyth's Toy store in Dublin did have Pick-a-Brick at one stage.

I was in Munich last year just before Christmas and Galeria Kaufhof and Oberpollinger (part of Karstadt?) both had pick-a-brick, but fairly limited (still filled up a small bag with trees and lattice fences). I'd earlier been to the Munich Lego store so that also meant I had already been spoiled for choice!

[The Green Brick Giant]

In fairness; most women use purses and bags to carry their personal items including their wallets and identification. Wearing a backpack into a store looks a tad more suspicious. If a woman was walking around the store with a backpack instead of a purse, security would probably have their eyes on that woman as well.

And that is sexist! Like women don't shove crap in their purse to steal? They want more people to use reusable bags, but how can you when you would be hunted down because you are a guy? This TRU is the scum of the world, and is sexist, because I see the women tell their children to stick things in their purse! I walk or bike everywhere and always have a backpack, so once again it's OK for women to have a huge megablocks purse to stick things in but not a backpack for guys? That's sexists.

As you can tell I hate TRU, so the less LEGO at TRU the better.

[doctordark]

There's a PAB in the TRU in times square, new york. When i went it was closed off with yellow caution tape. It was a MESS,lego bricks everywhere like a hundred little kids had a party in there.

[blueandwhite]

There's a PAB in the TRU in times square, new york. When i went it was closed off with yellow caution tape. It was a MESS,lego bricks everywhere like a hundred little kids had a party in there.

I guess that answers that question .

[eti]

Some toy stores over here in Holland used to have a PaB - the carrousel kind, not the wall. But it wasn't a great success, I think for the stores it was too much a hassle for not enough profit, so they have all disappeared.

Toys 'r Us doesn't exist anymore (actually it changed its name to Toys XL) and at least in my city it used to be in a very awkward location (semi-industrial area with lots of furniture and carpet stores and IKEA - and if you're hunting for that kind of things you're not spending money on toys) so I think they never had enough people to keep up the store, really. The regular toy store chains are in every downtown areas of every city and village.

[Ralph_S]

Some toy stores over here in Holland used to have a PaB - the carrousel kind, not the wall. But it wasn't a great success, I think for the stores it was too much a hassle for not enough profit, so they have all disappeared.

Toys 'r Us doesn't exist anymore (actually it changed its name to Toys XL) and at least in my city it used to be in a very awkward location (semi-industrial area with lots of furniture and carpet stores and IKEA - and if you're hunting for that kind of things you're not spending money on toys) so I think they never had enough people to keep up the store, really. The regular toy store chains are in every downtown areas of every city and village.

Toys R Us in the Netherlands doesn't exist any more? What? I obviously have been away for too long! The one that I used to go to on a reasonably regular basis was the one in Eindhoven, which was in the city centre. They too used to have a PaB, although the last time I was there (probably December last year) that was gone. It was quite a nice store, but the prices were usually as high or higher than the Lego online store. It was only worthwhile when they had a three-for-two deal.

Cheers,

Ralph