Toys”R”Us has unveiled plans for its second U.S. flagship store in Minnesota’s Mall of America. Set to open just before Thanksgiving, the locale will be the first flagship store brand owner WHP Global is opening in partnership with Go! Retail Group. (The two plan additional global flagships in as-yet-undisclosed locations next year.)
The 11,000-square-foot Mall of America flagship represents the latest step in the once-defunct brand’s comeback under WHP, joining the first such store at the American Dream complex in New Jersey. The brand also operates a partnership with Macy’s involving 452 Toys”R”Us shop-in-shops.
“After the success we’ve experienced with our first flagship at American Dream and shops inside Macy’s, bringing Toys”R”Us to Mall of America was a must,” said Jamie Uitdenhowen, EVP of Toys”R”Us at WHP Global. “There is the perfect mix of entertainment and retail that makes it a highly trafficked go-to-destination for families year-round.”
Next year, the latest Toys”R”Us flagship will introduce such new branded elements as a Geoffrey’s Café and ice cream parlor, as well as interactive experiences and product demonstrations from popular toy vendors.