Key takeaways:
- Toys’R’Us is opening 120 new standalone stores across the United States this holiday season through a partnership with Go! Retail Group, bringing its U.S. standalone total to 160.
- The expansion also includes new airport shop-in-shops with WHSmith North America, continued shops inside Macy’s stores and locations with the Navy Exchange Service Command.
- The growth comes less than a year after Toys’R’Us Canada, a separate company under different ownership, filed for bankruptcy protection and began shrinking its own store footprint.
Toys’R’Us is opening 120 new standalone stores across the United States in time for the holiday season. The retailer is partnering with Go! Retail Group on the rollout, according to a press release, which will bring its total U.S. standalone store count to 160.
The new locations add to an existing U.S. footprint of 40 standalone stores and Toys’R’Us shops inside Macy’s stores nationwide. Toys’R’Us is owned by WHP Global, a brand management firm with a portfolio of more than 16 consumer brands that together generate over $9.5 billion in retail sales.
“This is a major moment for Toys’R’Us as we significantly expand our presence across the United States,” said Jamie Uitdenhowen, EVP of Toys’R’Us at WHP Global, in a statement. “Together with our incredible partners, we are growing Toys’R’Us in unique ways to meet customers wherever they are, whether that’s at a standalone store in their hometown, inside Macy’s, at the airport or at a Navy Exchange. Toys’R’Us has always been a place for discovery, and we’re building on that legacy by bringing customers the hottest toys, biggest trends and experiences that make the brand unlike any other.”
Some Stores to Feature Creator Studios, Candy Shops and Cafés
The new standalone stores will carry a curated selection of toys, collectibles and gifts from major brands including LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Pokémon, along with merchandise tied to KPop Demon Hunters.
Some locations will also introduce features the company calls Creator Studios, spaces designed for influencers and toy brands to film content and hold product launches and reveals. Select stores will add candy shops and cafés as well, giving shoppers additional reasons to spend time inside the stores rather than just passing through.
Gideon Schlessinger, CEO of Go! Retail Group, said the holidays align perfectly with the experience of visiting the retailer.
“This holiday season represents an extraordinary expansion for Toys’R’Us in the U.S., and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the magic of Toys’R’Us to so many communities across the country,” Schlessinger said. “There’s something special about walking into a Toys’R’Us store, especially during the holidays, the excitement of discovering the hottest toys, seeing favorite brands and characters come to life and finding that perfect gift. With 160 stores open this season, we have an incredible opportunity to bring that experience to millions of customers and create destinations they’ll want to come back to throughout the year.”
Go! Retail Group, based in Austin, Texas, is a family-owned company that has operated pop-up stores across six countries since 1993. Its portfolio also includes Babies’R’Us, Calendars.com, Go! Toys & Games and Snoozimals.
Toys’R’Us Is Also Growing Beyond Traditional Retail
The store rollout is part of a broader push by Toys’R’Us to reach shoppers outside conventional retail settings. The company opened its first airport shop-in-shop at Orlando International Airport in August through a partnership with WHSmith North America, with a second location planned for Summer 2027. Toys’R’Us also operates shop-in-shops with the Navy Exchange Service Command, which serves military members and their families.
Globally, Toys’R’Us generates more than $2 billion in annual retail sales through over 1,680 stores and e-commerce operations spanning 37 countries.
The U.S. Toys’R’Us business filed for bankruptcy protection in 2017 and later liquidated its American stores before WHP Global acquired the brand in 2021 and began rebuilding its retail presence, including through the current wave of standalone openings.
More recently, Toys’R’Us Canada, which is owned by Putman Investments and not affiliated with WHP Global’s U.S. operations, sought protection from creditors in February under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, Canada’s equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Putman Investments purchased the Canadian business in 2018 following the U.S. parent company’s earlier bankruptcy and reorganization.
