WASHINGTON — The latest comeback attempt by Toys R Us is getting even bigger.
Every Macy's store in America will have an in-store Toys R Us shop before the holiday season gets underway, WHP Global and Macy's announced on Monday. The first shops will begin opening later this month, with all locations complete by Oct. 15.
The shops will range in size from 1,000 sq. feet to up to 10,000 sq. feet at flagship locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco. The shops will also include a life-size "Geoffrey on a Bench” photo opportunity, the companies said.
Last summer, Toys R Us first announced plans for shops inside more than 400 Macy's stores starting this year. It also opened a digital flagship store.
This isn't the first time the iconic toy brand has mounted a comeback since filing for bankruptcy in 2017 and liquidating all its U.S. stores in 2018. At the time, tens of thousands of workers lost their jobs at Toys R Us and despite having other avenues like Walmart or Target to sell their products, major toy manufacturers reportedly saw a steep decline in sales.
Toys R us opened two pop-up stores -- in Paramus, New Jersey and in Houston -- in 2019, but both closed in 2021 while the brand was under the control of Tru Kids, Inc. WHP Global bought it two months later.
In Dec. 2021, the company made a brick-and-mortar comeback with a new two-story flagship store at American Dream, a mall in Bergen County, New Jersey.
More than 900 Toys R Us stores remain around the world in 25 countries, WHP Global said.
The flagship Toys R Us Macy's locations will include: Lenox Square, Atlanta; State Street, Chicago; Ala Moana, Honolulu; Memorial City, Houston; South Coast Plaza, LA; Aventura, Miami; Dadeland, Miami; Herald Square, New York City; Roosevelt Field, New York City; Union Square, San Francisco; Valley Fair, San Jose.
Toys "R" Us was founded in 1948 as a baby goods and furniture store in Washington, D.C. called Children's Bargain Town, according to Business Insider.
