Toys R Us to officially close stores Friday, including Joliet location

The Toys "R" Us location near the Louis Joliet Mall, located at 3128 Voyager Lane, will close its doors this Thursday, according to in-store posters.

All stores will close by Friday, according to social media announcements the company made.

The Toys "R" Us 670,000-square-foot warehouse will also close, which employs fewer than 300 people, said John Greuling, chief executive officer for the Will County Center for Economic Development.

“They’re not on our major employer list, which means they have less than 300 there,” Greuling said. “However, many people lose their jobs there, though, that’s not good.”

A total of 180 workers will be laid off at the Joliet warehouse and regional office, according to a notice to the state.

Toys "R" Us had 880 stores, and filed for bankruptcy in September 2017. It announced plans March 15 to shut down operations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Liquidation sales began March 23, and sales now have reached 50 percent to 70 percent off merchandise storewide, according to a social media post by the company.

The company website said all sales are final, with no exchanges or returns. Toys "R" Us web stores shut down March 29.

“We would to thank you for shopping with us for over 70 years, and we appreciate your kind expressions as we close our doors,” the automated message for the Joliet store said.