A photo of Geoffrey the Giraffe waving goodbye amid the shutdown of Toys R Us is pulling on the heartstrins of thousands who grew up associating the cuddly mascot with the joy and excitement of getting new toys.
Since 1984, the toy franchise has been a haven for children and has become a fond childhood memory for countless adults, so the announcement that the retailer was closing over 800 stores across the U.S. sparked sadness among many.
Former employee Rene Johnpiere magnified this heartache with a photo posted on Facebook on Wednesday of Geoffrey the Giraffe standing in an empty aisle of a Toys R Us store with a suitcase, waving goodbye, Time magazine noted.
The image, which was shared over 300,000 times, induced a sense of nostalgia as people took to social media to grieve.
"I cant believe childhood is cancelled," one Twitter user said.
Another said she could not understand why children did not want to "go to toys r us when I still want to go to toys r us."
Toys R Us meanwhile, posted a heartfelt farewell message on its website, thanking all its supporters over the years.
"Promise us just this one thing," the company said on its website. "Don't ever grow up. Play on!"
The toy franchise filed for bankruptcy in late 2017 and in March 2018 began its liquidation sales, CNBC noted.
However, a Toys R Us reboot might be in the works by a former CEO of the chain along with investors.
People familiar with the situation recently said that Jerry Storch, a former chief executive officer of the defunct toy chain, has been working with multiple investors on a plan to reboot the retailer in the U.S.
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