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Toys R Us is dead, so Amazon will mail you toy catalogs instead

Toys R Us is dead, so Amazon will mail you toy catalogs instead

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Millions of toy catalogs with QR codes

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

You’re bound to get tons of shopping catalogs this holiday season, and soon, one of them may come from Amazon. Following the demise of Toys R Us’ presence in the US and UK back in March, the e-commerce giant confirmed it will mail out millions of toy catalogs called “A Holiday of Play.”

Like the old catalogs Toys R Us used to mail out, Amazon’s holiday catalogs retain the simplistic aesthetic, but they also have QR codes attached so customers can easily scan and bring up links to products. Amazon will also distribute the catalogs at its 4-star locations and bookstores.

Even as the tech giant edges out traditional retailers like Walmart and Barnes & Noble, it’s still taking pages from their playbooks. Following its acquisition of Whole Foods last year, Amazon cemented its brick-and-mortar presence by opening up bookstores and cashier-less convenience stores across the US.

As we gear up for the holiday season, Amazon is also attempting to boost sales by offering free shipping without the $25 minimum purchase and experimenting with more convenient shipping options. But for many kids (and kids at heart) who grew up with giant toy stores, there will be a sad reminder in your mailbox that Toys R Us is dead, and Amazon is the imminent replacement for stores you looked to in the past.