Toys R Us Holiday Season Same-store Sales Up, Video Games Down

Toys R Us reported holiday season same-store sales rose 2% for the nine weeks ending Jan 2. Same-store sales were up 1.4% domestically for the period. For the five weeks ending Jan. 2, same-store sales in the U.S. were up 2.9%. Online sales were a highlight, the company said in a release, with toy, learning and seasonal categories generating the strongest growth. This strength was offset by a decline in the entertainment category, which includes electronics, video game hardware and software. Internationally, same-store sales were up 3.1% for the nine weeks ending Jan. 2, led by Canada and Japan. The company reported some weakness in Europe. Toys R Us is a private equity-owned company.