Dive Brief:
- Toys R Us is undergoing an expansion in the U.S. that includes flagship stores and seasonal holiday shops, according to a company announcement Thursday.
- Over 30 new stores will open, per the company’s website. Additional store launches will be announced throughout the season.
- The effort is a “significant milestone in the brand’s growth,” according to Toys R Us.
Dive Insight:
Toys R Us is expanding its physical presence during the critical holiday period.
The company already has flagship locations in Chicago and Texas along with American Dream and Mall of America. Toys R Us is in every Macy’s store nationwide, at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and increasingly at U.S. military bases.
The brand is also expanding into new international markets including Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Morocco and Lebanon, and reestablishing its presence in Turkey.
Parent company WHP Global also announced last year that it had entered into a long-term licensing deal with WHSmith to be the exclusive shop-in-shop partner for the toy company in the U.K.
"Following the tremendous success of our Toys R Us flagship stores, we're thrilled to continue expanding through our partnership with Go! Retail Group," Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys R Us at WHP Global, said in a statement. "This next phase of growth brings the magic of Toys R Us to even more communities across the country — just in time for the holidays — and delivers the joyful shopping experience that has made us a trusted destination for generations.”
The brand is also increasing its social content and brand activations — both in physical stores and digitally — to help customers with gift giving.
Toys R Us has also been engaging with AI for its marketing efforts. Last year the company stated it created the first brand film using OpenAI’s new text-to-video tool, Sora. Toys R Us Studios partnered with creative agency Native Foreign on a film about the founding of the brand.
Toys R Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 following a 20-year decline. The toy company has been rebounding and ultimately accelerating since WHP Global took a controlling stake in 2021.
