This week, thousands of people around the world have felt nostalgic pangs as famous toy store chain Toys R Us closes its doors for good. In the wake of this historic retail event, a photo of the store’s mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, standing in an empty store with a suitcase, is going viral. Dressed in vacation gear, Geoffrey appears ready to head into retirement as he no longer has a job with the closing of his beloved employer. The origin of the photo is unclear, but may have been staged and taken by a store employee. Here it is posted by Facebook user Rene Johnpiere: After more than 60 years in business, the industry giant is the latest casualty in the ongoing demise of brick-and-mortar retail stores as more and more shoppers turn to online retailers and big-box stores like Walmart and Target that offer one-stop shopping destinations. Late last year, Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy. Although they had hoped to restructure and rebrand in order to compete in the modern marketplace, it was ultimately not to be, and liquidation sales began in preparation of closing all the stores. For now, the future of the brand is uncertain. An auction for the company’s name, baby shower registry and other trademarks is set for late July, so it’s possible that Geoffrey could have an encore career. Getty Images | Getty Images The iconic giraffe is not the only one disappointed by an early retirement from Toys R Us, as thousands of (human) employees have also been laid off in the wake of the store’s closing. “I’m never going to have a job like Toys R Us,” long-time store employee Patty Van Fossan, 54, from Boardroom, Ohio, told Honolulu Star Advertiser. “It was the best job I had. I was surrounded by children.” Are you saddened by the loss of the beloved toy store?<doc-sep>A picture of Geoffrey the Giraffe leaving Toys “R” Us is pulling on the heartstrings of former Toys “R” Us kids as the chain closes for good Friday. Former employee Rene Johnpiere posted the photo Wednesday of Geoffrey the Giraffe, the popular mascot of the franchise, with a suitcase waving goodbye in the middle of an empty aisle of a Toys “R” Us. The image has been shared more than 300,000 times and has left many online feeling nostalgic and heartbroken. People have turned to social media to express their sadness. The toy store opened its doors 70 years ago. At its prime, it was the go-to location for kids to get the newest dolls, gadgets and toys. In 2017, Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy and in March 2018 the company announced it was going out of business and closing all U.S. stores. Toys “R” Us posted a goodbye message on it website, encouraging its former customers to “play on.” “Thanks to each of you who shared your amazing journey to (and through) parenthood with us, and to every grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother and sister who’s built a couch-cushion rocket ship, made up a hero adventure, or invented something goeey. Promise us just this one thing: Don’t ever grow up. Play on!” The Leadership Brief. Conversations with the most influential leaders in business and tech. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com.<doc-sep>
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM/CBS NEWS) – Toys “R” Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe has packed up his suitcase — presumably full of toys — and left his toy kingdom for good. A heartbreaking photo of Geoffrey is circulating, on the day that Toys “R” Us is closing all of its remaining stores. The photo shows the giraffe in an empty Toys “R” Us, holding a suitcase and waving goodbye. The photo was taken by Rene Johnpiere, who also posted several sad photos on Facebook of an empty store shelves, vacant shopping carts and a group of employees locking the doors of a soon-to-be shuttered store. But the photo of Geoffrey the Giraffe leaving is getting the most attention, having received more than 307,000 shares on Facebook. The image captures the end of an era and sadness many people feel watching their favorite toy store close forever. The heart tugging continued on the Toys “R” Us website, with the company posting a heartfelt message thanking customers for sharing their stories and encouraging everyone to “Play on!” Every Toys “R” Us kid remembers the famous jjngle, “I don’t want to grow up! I’m a Toys “R” Us kid.” The grown up reality is that after today there will be more than 700 empty Toys “R” Us stores across the United States. But the header on the Toys “R” Us Twitter page says to stay tuned for “news and information on the next chapter for Geoffrey and the iconic Toy “R” Us brands”… so maybe the story’s not over.