Toys ‘R’ Us is back in a big way — 120 new stores coming for Christmas

BS BULLETIN:

Toys “R” Us is opening 120 new standalone U.S. stores in time for the holiday shopping season.
The expansion will bring the once-shuttered chain to 160 standalone locations nationwide.
Some locations will include cafés, candy shops and even studios where influencers can create toy content.

Eight years after Toys “R” Us disappeared from the American retail landscape, Geoffrey the Giraffe apparently has no intention of staying dead.

Toys “R” Us announced Thursday that it is opening 120 new standalone stores across the United States this holiday season.

Yes, actual Toys “R” Us stores.

The massive expansion, being undertaken in partnership with Go! Retail Group, will bring the company’s standalone U.S. footprint to 160 locations by the holidays.

That’s quite a turnaround for a chain that closed all of its remaining U.S. stores in 2018.

“This is a major moment for Toys ‘R’ Us as we significantly expand our presence across the United States,” Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys “R” Us at parent company WHP Global, said.

The company hasn’t yet released a complete list of the 120 new locations, their opening dates or their sizes. It also hasn’t said whether all 120 stores will remain open after the holiday season.

But this isn’t merely another attempt to stick a Toys “R” Us sign inside somebody else’s department store. These are standalone locations.

The new stores will sell toys, collectibles and gifts from familiar brands including LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Pokémon, along with newer entertainment properties. Some locations are getting a modern twist. Select stores will include candy shops and cafés, while others will feature “Creator Studios” where influencers, toy companies and other creators can make content, unveil products and hold special events.

The company already operates 40 standalone stores in the U.S., along with Toys “R” Us shops inside Macy’s stores nationwide.

It has also been experimenting with some unusual locations. Toys “R” Us opened its first airport store at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and has expanded into Navy Exchange locations serving military families.

An Orlando International Airport shop-in-shop opened in August, with another planned there for summer 2027.

It’s all part of a remarkable second act for one of America’s most recognizable retail brands. Toys “R” Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2017 while carrying roughly $5 billion in debt. By the following year, its remaining U.S. stores were gone.

There were several attempts to resurrect the brand afterward, including smaller stores that opened in New Jersey and Texas in 2019 before closing in 2021.

WHP Global acquired a controlling stake in the company that year. Then came a flagship store at the American Dream complex in New Jersey, the Macy’s partnership and a gradual return of standalone locations.

Now the comeback is accelerating.

Worldwide, Toys “R” Us says its business generates more than $2 billion in annual retail sales through more than 1,680 stores and e-commerce operations across 37 countries.

And this Christmas, another 120 American stores are joining the party.