Control Systems and Toys R Us
Toys R Us had been failing since the early 2000s, not solely because of competition with
large retailers, but due to inherent management problems within the company. Toys R Us began
in the late 1950s, and as time progressed and markets changed, the company’s management and
systems have not been able to adapt at the same rate. Economist Mark A. Cohen describes Toys
R Us’ stores as a poor shopping experience for consumers because of the overcrowded inventory
and mediocre customer service. In 2015, the company turned over to the current CEO, Dave
Brandon, and in the same year, Toys R Us closed their two highest tourist attractions. As Toys R
Us began to cut costs and lay workers off, some stores’ management suffered from “management
myopia”, where employees would withhold information from upper management levels, and
workers even manipulated customer surveys in order to not be laid off. In September of 2017, the
