One year ago Toys R Us closed the last of its remaining 200 stores after years of declining sales as companies like Walmart and Amazon offered cheaper alternatives to entertainment favorites. In 2016 Chain Store Guide published an article about the struggling retailer’s attempt to stay in the game by providing American Girl products previously only available to purchase at the American Girl stores, or online. The boost in foot traffic didn’t meet expected Christmas sales, and the company announced its closure in March 2018 with a closing date of June.

Since then, Toys R Us tried to make a comeback during the 2018 holiday season by placing kiosks inside 600 Kroger grocery stores. Richard Barry, a former executive of Toys R Us who is now the CEO of Tru Kids Inc, the holding company of Toys R Us brands, announced his intention to revitalize the old company by opening a handful of new stores for this holiday season with plans for more in 2020.

The new units will be smaller than their previous counterparts at 10,000 square feet and offer more than just toys. Consumers these days are looking for an experience while shopping. Toys R Us will provide play areas and entertainment spots to give people recharging areas for themselves as well as their mobile devices ensuring they stay in stores longer. Barry is confident there is still a place in the retail market for Toys R Us stating, “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write the next chapter of Toys R Us by launching a newly imagined omnichannel retail experience for our beloved brands here in the US.”

Chain Store Guide will be monitoring the opening of the new Toys R Us stores as part of our Locus™ locations research. Follow us to stay up to date with the latest news.