A former Toys R Us employee has recounted their experiences working at the toy store in 2014. The individual began working there at 15 years old as a Christmas casual, having previously had a brief job at a fish and chip shop.
The role at Toys R Us involved various duties, including processing transactions, assisting customers, managing end-of-day tills, and cleaning the store. The employee also noted the presence of Babies R Us within the store.
A particular challenge for the former employee was the gendered language prevalent in the toy industry. They described playing 'dumb' or using 'exaggerated air quotes' when customers requested 'girls' or 'boys' toys. The employee also recalled an incident where a customer insisted on a 'boy colour' for balloons, expecting red but recoiling when presented with blue.
The individual observed 'hyper-consumerism' during their time at the store, including working an overnight shift during a 34-hour Christmas trade period. They also learned about retailers using harsh lighting in windowless stores to make shoppers unaware of the time. The employee left Toys R Us to work in fashion retail around the time they started university, with Toys R Us Australia entering administration and closing all stores soon after.