Children everywhere can rejoice, as Toys R Us plans to make a comeback with stores in time for the holiday season. A year after shuttering operations in the U.S., Toys R Us will return with half a dozen stores and an ecommerce site, according to Bloomberg.
Richard Barry, a former Toys R Us executive and now CEO of Tru Kids Inc., has been pitching the vision to bring back the chain to toymakers, Bloomberg reports. The new incarnation stores are expected to be about 10,000 square feet, a third of size of a typical location when it closed in 2018.
The new locations will reportedly build in more experiential play areas. Toymaker MGA Entertainment Inc. is on board to sell at the re-imagined Toys R Us shops, CEO Isaac Larian told Bloomberg. MGA is the parent company for Little Tikes, L.O.L. Surprise! and Bratz Dolls.
The original Toys R Us generated about $7 billion in sales a year in the U.S. through more than 700 locations, including its Babies R Us brand.
Geoffrey, the well-known mascot for Toys R Us made an appearance in the form of Geoffrey’s Toy Box this past holiday season which featured a collection of brands at pop-up stores in nearly 600 Kroger grocery stores.
Toys R Us announced the closure of its more than 800 U.S stores in 2018 while trying to work out a plan to save at least 200 of them if it couldn’t find a buyer. It made plans to liquidate 180 stores under both Toys R Us and Babies R Us banners as part of the restructuring process.
MCM Musings: Toys R Us is like the ex that left you high and dry to pick up the pieces and now that you have, wants to come back into your life. During its absence, other companies have happily jumped in to fill the void. It may too late for it to win back the hearts of children, and their parent’s wallets, as Walmart, Target, Amazon and others have come to their emotional rescue. Amazon launched a printed catalog last year to relieve the sting the toy giant left behind. Is it possible for Toys R Us to make a comeback? Let’s see what this year’s holiday season brings.