Toys 'R' Us Officially Relaunching in Stores by Holiday Season 2022
Toys "R" Us is making a major comeback just in time for the holiday shopping season! Beginning in July, the beloved toy story is set to begin popping up in every Macy's store in the United States as part of an expanded partnership between Macy's and WHP Global, Toys "R" Us' parent company.
The exciting news was announced Monday in a press release, which revealed the stores will open beginning in late July through Oct. 15. The in-store shops, which will eventually be in every single US Macy's, will range from 1,000 square feet and up to 10,000 square feet in flagship Macy's in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. However, fans of the nostalgic toy store can expect those footprints to expand during the peak holiday season.
The in-store shops will "come to life in-store with playful colored fixtures as well as hands-on demonstration tables for customers to interact with various toy assortments," according to the release, which revealed that the stores will also feature a life-size "Geoffrey on a Bench" photo opportunity for families. The return of Toys "R" Us will be celebrated in an exciting way, with Macy's set to celebrate the openings with nine days of in-store events, which will include family friendly activities and daily giveaways from brands including Barbie, LEGO, and more.
"Macy's cannot wait to bring the Toys"R"Us experience to life in our stores," Nata Dvir, Macy's chief merchandising officer, said in a press release. "We hope Toys"R"Us kids of all ages discover the joy of exploration and play within our shops and families create special memories together. The customer response to our partnership with Toys"R"Us has been incredible and our toy business has seen tremendous growth."
The news comes five years after Toys "R" Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2017. Toys R Us could not recover from poor revenue during the 2017 holiday season and it was pushed into liquidation. All original U.S. Toys R Us stores closed in 2018. Although the retailer popped up in efforts to keep it alive, such as in 2018 when its lenders partnered with Kroger to bring Geoffrey's Toy Box stores as pop-up sections in the grocery stores, the brand mostly fell to the wayside. However, a spark of life was breathed back into the Toys "R" Us name in early 2021 when it was announced that WHP Global took a controlling interest in Toys R Us' parent company, Tru Kid, the company at the time teasing plans to bring Toys "R" Us back, noting that "Toys R Us is the single most credible, trusted, and beloved toy brand in the world."