Back in the day, Toys ‘R’ Us brought to mind cheerful images: lots of kids having fun, rows and rows of shiny toys and games, Geoffrey the Giraffe and a great jingle (got that song stuck in your head now? you're welcome). But the iconic toy company is now closing up shop, laying off more than 30,000 employees and shuttering its U.S. stores amid bankruptcy.

It's demise is the cover story for this week's Bloomberg Businessweek, entitled "Tears 'R' Us: The World’s Biggest Toy Store Didn’t Have to Die." This week on Money Talking, Charlie Herman speaks with two of the authors, Susan Berfield and Matthew Townsend, and delves into the history of Toys ‘R’ Us and what it means for the future of retail in America.