There’s been a giraffe sighting at the American Dream mall in New Jersey, and this wasn’t just any old giraffe. Toys ‘R’ Us will open the doors of a new two-level, 20,000-square-foot flagship store at American Dream , just in time for the last few weeks of holiday shopping, and Geoffrey the Giraffe will be in residence. Slated to open in mid-December, the new mall-based flagship follows on a 2019 attempt to revive the toy store chain via smaller mall locations that was thwarted by the pandemic.
After filing for bankruptcy and shuttering all its U.S. stores in 2018, the Toys ‘R’ Us brand passed through a number of hands before being acquired by brand management firm WHP Global in March 2021. News of the new U.S. flagship follows on a previous announcement that Toys ‘R’ Us shop-in-shops will open in 400 Macy’s locations in 2022. That partnership also included the debut of a new Toys ‘R’ Us digital store on the Macy’s website.
The flagship Toys ‘R’ Us location at American Dream will be reminiscent of stores from the chain’s heyday, with a wide selection of top toys, chances to meet Geoffrey the Giraffe (who also recently got his own revival in the form of an NFT collection), interactive experiences and product demonstrations. True to the highly experiential nature of the American Dream mall itself, the store also will feature new branded elements, including Geoffrey’s Café and ice cream parlor and a two-story slide.
“American Dream is a one-of-a-kind unrivaled retail center featuring massive entertainment experiences that make it an ideal destination for families; debuting our first Toys ‘R’ Us flagship here is a no-brainer,” said Yehuda Shmidman, Chairman and CEO of WHP Global and Toys ‘R’ Us in a statement. “The Toys ‘R’ Us brand is big and growing fast. Today we have over 900 stores and ecommerce sites operating across 25 countries outside the U.S., and now our U.S. expansion plans are in high gear, propelling us into the next chapter of growth for our global brand.”
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