Tampa Bay Toys R Us, Babies R Us Closing Sale On Now

Retailer Toys R Us kicked off a going-out-of-business sale at about 170 stores nationwide, including two in the Tampa Bay area, the company confirmed. One of the stores is a Babies R Us location. Store furniture and fixtures are also available to purchase.

Closing stores will continue to honor customer programs, including gift cards, Endless Earnings and credit card specials, the company said. Liquidation sales will run through April 15.

Here are the Tampa Bay locations that are holding liquidation sales:

• 1900 Tyrone Blvd. in St. Petersburg
• 3908 West Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa (Babies R Us location).

Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in September amid slumping sales and mounting debt, which grew to about $5 billion. The once-popular chain faced increasing competition from Amazon, Walmart and Target. The chain was set to close about 180 of its stores, or about 20 percent.

A federal bankruptcy judge ruled late last year that Toys R Us may pay 17 executives about $14 million in incentive bonuses if it hits a certain earnings amount. Attorneys representing the company argued that the bonuses would help executives focus on increasing sales during the past holiday season.

David Brandon, chairman and CEO of the toy retailer, previously said the brand was reinventing itself and that required some "tough decisions about our priorities and focus."

"The reinvention of our brands requires that we make tough decisions about our priorities and focus," Brandon said in a letter posted on the company's website.

Photo: Getty Images