The US is at risk of becoming a 'demographic time bomb' — and it may have contributed to Toys R Us' demise

pulse

March 16, 2018 4:36 PM

In Toys R Us' most recent annual filing, it says that declining birth rates may have had an "adverse effect" on its business.

In the company's most recent annual filing, it cites declining birth rates as a threat to sales.
In the US,

This week, Toys R Us officially filed liquidation papers. It will shutter or sell each of its 735 stores across the US.

The toy chain's sales have declined in recent years, largely due to competition from online retailers like Amazon, some

2017 marked a 118-year low for fertility and people are living longer than ever before —

Recent societal trends could explain why more Americans are not having kids. Due to shifting views of gender roles, more women than ever before are entering the workforce and becoming moms later (if at all). In addition, increasingly choosing to forego parenting in an effort to rise in their careers, tackle Since 1990, the US teen pregnancy rate has also been falling, which the attributes to increased access to contraception and sex education.

Parenthood is now one of many paths women can take — which is good for gender equality but troubling for stores like Toys R Us.

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