Babies R Us

A little pricey for most things but coupons and special events make things a bit more affordable. Today I traded in an old porta-​crib in for 25% off a car seat. It’s the «Great Trade-​In» event and because I’m a rewards member, I got a head start on the deals! Winning!!! The staff is always super friendly and helpful. The wide range of baby accoutrement is great.

As soon as I entered into the store they pleasantly greeted me and my husband! They were eager to help and made the registering process pretty effortless. The store is very well organized with most things easily found. Many people asked if I needed help and were more than willing to be of assistance. I would definitetly go back!

So-​so management with the exception to the magnificent male store manager! My family and the other 85 guests whom shopped and purchased over $ 10,000 worth of product from this store were in definite lack of amusement of the services and over-​priced merchandise!
For example, after the baby shower and buying many things with Babies R Us, we realize we still need the stroller, car seat, matching play pen and high chair for my first baby-​to-​be. A really nice, but no longer available, customer service associate named Jeff showed us a cheaper way to get the same car seat and stroller combo. For the ignorant sake of matching, I chose to spend an extra $ 150 on top of what I was spending to order the right color. Now to the problem: There was a simple promotion going on and they forgot to put a free Christmas Dr. Brown bottle with my $ 50 purchase. No big deal… except for the fact, the manager Amanda looked at me as if I was stealing from them and said, «Are you sure. Hmmm. (As she looked down). I was so embarrassed as other customers looked at me while she rang up my gratis item and didn’t make eye contact with me. I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you after spending $ 600…it’s not as if I was trying to do 12 different transactions for a bottle for each amount, I simply wanted the bottle I was more than owed… I mean come on my baby was being born before Christmas after all!
It’s not worth it! I had no idea, but now YOU do! For the sake of your families, move unto a new baby store because it’s too expensive! In-​store they charge $ 289 for the Medela Advance breast pump and online it was $ 249 with free in-​store pick-up…just go to the customer service desk and do it that way! I know it’s business but you should want to protect your dollars!
Recently, I purchased the Chicco Nextfit car seat and in-​store it was $ 299.99 — - listen closely, nowhere and I mean nowhere charges that price for this carseat! Everywhere, it is $ 279.99 and coupons optional. So why did I buy it? Because I used my business savvy skills and had them use a 20% off coupon on the online sale priced car seat and got it for $ 201.99. It was stressful, but I did accomplish it even with the double-​binded help of Amanda; but hey, at least she kept her word. If you want to do it that way, by all means, shop there, but otherwise, get your registry elsewhere…

Big Box bad, small store good. I truly believe this in nearly every case. The only problem is that sometimes you’re on a budget that only a huge store can accommodate. The interesting thing about Babies R Us? Well, they’re a big box but they’re not cheap!!!
Everything here is more expensive than at Wal-​Mart, K-​Mart and Target and since that’s the case, there’s really no reason to shop here. Well, I guess I’ll concede they have a wider selection than any other store, so that explains my second star.
But really I’ve developed a theory about BRU. Since they have such strong name recognition, people immediately think of them when they want to have a baby shower, buy a gift for someone else’s baby shower, or simply want to get something nice for a friend’s kid. So people start registries, buy gift cards and/​or buy gifts here, focused more on the facility of it all than price. BRU, recognizing they’ve got these customers locked in, especially those with registries and gift cards, know they can get away with highway robbery and jack up the prices.
It all makes my blood boil. Having to make a trip to BRU is second only to Wal-​mart in terms of the sheer displeasure it brings me.
As soon as we run through the huge credit we’ve amassed from store returns to BRU, I swear I’ll find a nice little local establishment and give them my money instead.