Yule Sales Drop at Toys R Us

s R Us Inc. said today its sales fell during the holiday shopping season as consumer caution this past Christmas extended even to gifts for children.

Toys R Us, the nation’s largest specialty toy retailer, attributed the difficult season to the same problems that have afflicted other retailers: a drop in consumer confidence, the weakening economy and the Persian Gulf crisis.

“People weren’t shopping like they had been in recent years,” said Angela Bourdon, a Toys R Us spokeswoman.

While the company’s overall sales rose 7.7% from year-earlier levels during the eight weeks before Christmas, sales from its stores open at least a year were down 6%.

Despite the trying season, video games including Nintendo sold well, Bourdon said. She described consumers as “keeping more to a certain amount on their shopping lists.”