Toys R Us Is Coming Back to The US Again!

When Toys R Us went under in the US, it was a viral moment that led millions of Americans to shed a tear for Geoffrey. However, it wasn’t long before a plan to come back in smaller kiosks inside of other stores was hatched. We aren’t sure if those ever came to pass, but it looked like the company was done and they would be going through with their bankruptcy auction. In a move that would give any toy-loving giraffe a serious case of whiplash, CNBC is reporting that the sale is off and the iconic toy store chain is poised for a comeback.

Tru Kids, the company that owns Toys R Us and Babies R Us has now been acquired by WHP Global Brand Management. The company has clearly seen that toys have been one of the safest segments of the consumer market during the pandemic and they want a piece.

“We’re in the brand business, and Toys R Us is the single most credible, trusted and beloved toy brand in the world,” Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and chief executive officer of WHP, said in an interview. “We’re coming off a year where toys are just on fire. … And for Toys R Us, the U.S. is really a blank canvas.”

While Toys R Us still has 900 stores around the world, none of them are in the US. According to Shmidman, that will be changing this year as they prep a series of flagships, pop-ups, airport locations or mini stores inside other retailers’ shops that are all set to launch in time for the holidays.

“There are so many malls that will no longer be in the future, so we don’t need to be there,” Shmidman said. “But we could be in malls that do have traffic. … So we really have an opportunity not just to capture that experience for toys that people are yearning for, but also capture where [people] want to shop. That will be very interesting post-Covid.”