Toys ‘R’ Us is being resurrected, thanks to Macy’s.
The department store chain will open a Toys ‘R’ Us shop-in-shop in 400 stores beginning next year, CNN Business reports. Macy’s considers Toys ‘R’ Us to be a recognizable brand that could help expand its reach in the toy business space while also bridge the gap between its primary competitors, Walmart and Target. The iconic toy store is already prominently featured on the department store’s website
Per the report, Macy’s has seen toys sales grow “exponentially” over the past year as a result of parents seeking ways to keep their children entertained in wake of the pandemic.
In March, the brand management company WHP Global announced its acquisition of Tru Kids, parent company of Toys ‘R’ Us, as well as its plans to launch a few physical stores ahead of the 2021 holiday season. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and shuttering all of its U.S. and UK locations in 2018, Toys ‘R’ Us was revived by Tru Kids, which launched two pop-up shops that didn’t remain open for long.
“The restructurings took a big toll on the company,” WHP Global chairman and CEO, Yehuda Shmidman, who has also served as vice chair for Tru Kids since 2019, said. “And then Covid is, hopefully, once in a century. But now we’re getting past those two things. And the sky’s the limit.”
The Toys ‘R’ Us website was briefly supported by Target two years ago, but that alliance eventually ran its course as well.
