In early 2021, Toys 'R' Us closed their last two stores (New Jersey and Houston); they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2017. Now, the home of Geoffrey the Giraffe is attempting a comeback once again. CNBC reported that Toys 'R' Us will be opening 24 new brick-and-mortar stores across the country.
Their parent company WHP Global, announced the company's plans on Friday. “The Toys R Us brand is growing fast, and our expansion into air, land, and sea is a testament to the brand’s strength,” Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and CEO of WHP Global, said in a press statement.
The reference to "air, land, and sea" refers to the initiative where Toy 'R' Us will open smaller stores in airports, cruise ships, and pop-up outlets. The first airport store will be in Dallas at Terminal A of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The plan is for this to roll out in November.
Toy 'R' Us History
What has brought Toys 'R' Us to this point is fascinating. The first official store opened in 1957 in Rockville, Maryland. This location saw much success, and by the '70s, there were numerous locations across the country. By 2017, there were 1,691 stores. Unfortunately, that year, the toy chain filed for bankruptcy and sold off many of their stores. Eventually, in 2021, WHP struck a deal with Macy's to open approximately 400 stores within select Macy's locations. There are now 452 of these pop-ups.
Post-pandemic, Toys 'R' Us started their comeback prior to last week's announcement. A new flagship store was opened in New Jersey's American Dream Mall in 2022.
Now, Toys 'R' Us is attempting to adjust to the landscape of their industry and bring toys to the people as opposed to requesting customers come to them. "The stores for the cruise industry will sell cruise-themed merchandise, though Toys 'R' Us did not specify on which cruise lines or where the stores will open," CNN explains.
In the meantime, as plans continue to develop for these new 24 brick-and-mortar Toys 'R' Us locations to open, customers can visit ToysRUs.com to explore by age, category, or brand.
