Copyright Newsweek
Toys R Us is undergoing a “major” expansion in the U.S., accelerating the opening of dozens of flagship stores and seasonal shops ahead of the festive season. “The rollout represents a new chapter for Toys R’ Us, strengthening its place at the center of holiday shopping and redefining family retail experiences,” the company said in Thursday’s announcement. “With new stores nationwide, customers of all ages are invited to discover the season's hottest toys and rediscover what it means to be a Toys R Us kid.” Newsweek contacted Toys R Us via email outside of regular hours for comment. Why It Matters Once a dominant force in the U.S. toy industry, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2017, triggering an aggressive restructuring and store-liquidation process that effectively wiped out its nationwide big-box presence. However, the company has reemerged in recent years with hundreds of "shop-in-shops" and specialty stores. Toys R Us says the latest expansion has been made possible by its partnership with Go! Retail Group—which operates the stores under licensing agreements—and believes this will help restore it to a leading position in the American toy market. What To Know Toys R Us currently operates stores in Chicago and Texas as well as several malls and airports, and has dedicated spaces in Macy's locations nationwide. The company revealed its holiday season expansion plans in an announcement last month, and said that the addition of several flagship stores and seasonal shops would cap off “its largest growth year yet.” Last week, Toys R Us announced a list of locations that are part of the ongoing expansion. Flagship stores: Chicago Premium Outlets—Aurora, Illinois (now open) Camarillo Premium Outlets—Camarillo, California Arundel Mills—Hanover, Maryland Jordan Creek—West Des Moines, Iowa Westroads Mall—Omaha, Nebraska Denver Premium Outlets—Thornton, Colorado Tanger Outlets Deer Park—Deer Park, New York Towne East Square—Wichita, Kansas Seasonal holiday shops: Great Lakes Crossing—Auburn Hills, Michigan (now open) Grapevine Mills—Grapevine, Texas (now open) Lakeside Shopping Center—Metairie, Louisiana (now open) Tanger Outlets—Nashville, Tennessee (now open) Crabtree Valley Mall—Raleigh, North Carolina (now open) The Mall in Columbia—Columbia, Maryland (now open) South Plains Mall—Lubbock, Texas (now open) Westfield Southcenter—Tukwila, Washington (now open) Station Park—Farmington, Utah (now open) Deptford Mall—Deptford, New Jersey Eastland Mall—Evansville, Indiana Mall of New Hampshire—Manchester, New Hampshire Bay Street—Emeryville, California Twelve Oaks Mall—Novi, Michigan Park Meadows—Lone Tree, Colorado North Star Mall—San Antonio, Texas Tanger Outlets—Sevierville, Tennessee King of Prussia Mall—King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Crocker Park—Westlake, Ohio Walden Galleria—Buffalo, New York What People Are Saying Gideon Schlessinger, CEO of Go! Retail Group, said in an announcement: “This holiday marks an important step in our expansion strategy for the Toys R Us brand. Through both flagship stores and seasonal holiday shops, we are delivering the same experience nationwide, strengthening our presence while meeting consumer demand during the most important season of the year." Matthew Nuccio, toy designer and president of the toy development company Design Edge Inc., told Newsweek: “Toys R Us is one of those rare brands that people have a real emotional connection to, so its return will definitely strike a chord. Nostalgia is a powerful driver, and that gives it a good chance at carving out a place again in the toy world. “That said, the retail landscape has changed,” he added. “With Amazon and big-box stores leading on price and convenience and tariffs pushing costs higher, it’s hard to see Toys R Us ever reaching the same scale it once had. Its best path forward is leaning into the nostalgia and making the stores feel like a destination, rather than trying to compete head-to-head on price.” Toy industry analyst and consultant Scott Steinberg previously told Newsweek: “Toys R Us remains one of the world’s most iconic retail brands, and one that continues to enjoy both strong nostalgic resonance with Gen X and boomers and throwback appeal to young folks like millennials and Gen Z audiences. “Despite ongoing tariffs, economic uncertainty and supply chain concerns, there’s ample room for a range of well-targeted and smartly managed retail locations to make an impact throughout the holiday season and beyond, especially given recent resurgences in interest among adult audiences for toy, pop culture and entertainment offerings.” Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association, previously told Newsweek: “The toy industry is certainly impacted by tariffs, but Toys R Us has already proven it can adapt—especially through its partnership with Macy’s, both in physical stores and online. That suggests they’ve already built a model that factors in today’s supply chain and trade realities.” What Happens Next Toys R Us said that any additional openings will be announced throughout the holiday season on its social media channels. As well as the U.S. openings, Toys R Us is working to build its presence in key foreign markets, including the United Kingdom, Mexico and South Korea, while attempting to break ground in new countries like Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Morocco, and Lebanon. Toys R Us also plans to open six new stores on U.S. Navy and military bases through its partnership with the Navy Exchange Service Command.
