Toys “R” Us, the once-mighty toy store giant that went bankrupt and closed all of its stores in 2018, has entered into a partnership with Macy’s and will soon be introducing stores all over the country.
The Toys “R” Us brand got a shot in the arm in August 2021 when its parent company, WHP Global, partnered with Macy’s department stores to sell toys on the Macy’s website. Since that time, plans have moved forward to re-introduce the brand as a physical presence in stores-within-a-store at select Macy’s locations. One such location is already operational: a two-story, 20,000-square-foot location at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey that opened in December 2021. Other locations will begin opening in late July through October 15th and will range in size from 1,000 in standard stores to 10,000 square feet at the flagship Macy’s locations in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, Chicago, Miami and San Francisco.
This is not the first time the storied brand has attempted a comeback. After the bankruptcy, Tru Kids Inc. acquired Toys “R” Us in a liquidation sale and attempted its own relaunch of the brand by opening stores in New Jersey and Texas, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced those stores to close. WHP Global stepped in shortly thereafter.
Macy’s decision to make physical locations comes after a strong first-quarter 2022 showing; toy sales were 15 times higher than they were in the same quarter before the partnership. The new stores will feature a life-sized Geoffrey the Giraffe for photo ops, as well as demonstration tables so that kids (and parents) can try out certain toys before buying them.
