Toys “R” Us is planning a major return to brick-and-mortar stores. Brand owner WHP Global (New York) is teaming up with Go! Retail Group (Austin, Texas) to roll out Toys”R”Us flagship stores nationwide in the U.S., beginning in 2024.
In addition, WHP is set to bring Toys”R”Us to the travel industry with a new retail experience for airports and cruise ships. The first Toys”R”Us airport store will open in November at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport through a partnership with Duty Free Americas.
The brand filed for bankruptcy and shuttered all of its 800 U.S. stores five years ago. WHP — a brand-management company – bought a controlling stake in Toys “R” Us in March of last year and has since been mapping out a comeback for the brand.
“Toys”R”Us is growing fast and our expansion into air, land and sea is a testament to the brand’s strength,” said Yehuda Shmidman, Chairman and CEO of WHP Global. “Since acquiring Toys”R”Us, we have increased our global retail footprint by more than 50 percent with openings in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Dubai, and Mexico. We now have over 1400 stores and e-commerce sites across 31 countries, and as we head into 2024, we are excited to bring Toys”R”Us to consumers everywhere, whether you’re visiting one of our stores at Macy’s, at our flagships, in an airport, or onboard a cruise ship.”
Toys”R”Us marked its return in the U.S., opening a 20,000 sq ft. flagship at the American Dream shopping complex in New Jersey in 2021, followed by the launch of 452 Toys”R”Us shops at Macy’s stores nationwide in 2022.
In partnership with Go! Retail Group, Toys”R”Us flagship stores will open in prime locations that complement the existing retail footprint at Macy’s. However, specific locations for the flagships have yet to be disclosed.
As the travel retail market continues to rise, Toys”R”Us has also embarked on designing a retail experience for the cruise industry. The retailer did not say whether any cruise lines have signed on to bring such stores aboard.