Supply Chain Research

Suppliers to Toys ‘R’ Us are reported to have scaled back shipments ahead of a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy as soon as this week. Overall, imports of toys to the U.S. by all retailers have increased recently – by 8% in August – though longer term Toys ‘R’ Us may have lost market share in sales to online retailers. September is arguably the worst time of year for a chapter 11 filing – it accounts for 12% of annual imports ahead of the holiday season, while October represent 20%. Toys ‘R’ Us imports 96% of its shipments from China and Hong Kong, while the biggest carriers it uses are Ma...