Physical toy stores are making a comeback.
After closing all its U.S. locations, the famed toy megastore Toys “R” Us announced plans to move forward with its biggest expansion in years, with 120 additional standalone stores set to open across the country by the holiday season, per a company press release. This growth is due in part to adults purchasing trading cards and collectibles.
“Kidults,” as they’ve been nicknamed, “have become an important part of the category,” Jamie Uitdenhowen, Executive Vice President of Toys “R” Us at WHP Global, told the New York Post.
The new stores include locations at existing malls, including Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, The Westchester in White Plains, New York, and The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey. Mall operators are said to appreciate toy stores, “so shoppers don’t feel like they have to leave the mall and go to Walmart or Target,” according to former Toys “R” Us chief executive Gerald Storch.
There are currently about 40 stores, per the Post, including 20,000-square-foot flagships in the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the Mall of America in Minnesota. There are also smaller branded shopping pop-ups located inside Macy’s department stores nationwide.
“This is a major moment for Toys ‘R’ Us as we significantly expand our presence across the United States,” Uitdenhowen said. “Together with our incredible partners, we are growing Toys ‘R’ Us in unique ways to meet customers wherever they are, whether that’s at a standalone store in their hometown, inside Macy’s, at the airport or at a Navy Exchange. Toys ‘R’ Us has always been a place for discovery, and we’re building on that legacy by bringing customers the hottest toys, biggest trends and experiences that make the brand unlike any other.”
The stores will offer popular toy brands including LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon, KPop Demon Hunters, and more.
The company said select locations will “introduce new experiences at the intersection of play, entertainment and content creation, including Creator Studios, dedicated spaces where influencers, creators and toy brands can create content, unveil new products and host toy reveals, launches and special events.” Some stores will also include candy shops and cafés.
Charles Lazarus started the business in 1948 as a baby furniture store in Washington, D.C., and turned it into Toys “R” Us in 1957. Babies “R” Us followed in 1996. The chain hit its height in the 1980s and ’90s, and by early 2017 it reported operating nearly 1,700 stores worldwide, counting its Babies “R” Us locations.
As consumer habits changed, the retailer — weighed down by roughly $5 billion in debt from a 2005 leveraged buyout and squeezed by Walmart, Target, and Amazon — filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed all its U.S. stores in 2018.
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