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- Toys R Us to open a seasonal holiday pop-up at Deptford Mall
- Part of 20-store US rollout in 2025 by WHP Global
- New stores follow brand’s 2021 retail comeback
- Locations feature popular toy brands like Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels & Nerf
Geoffrey the Giraffe has holiday plans in New Jersey.
As part of an ongoing effort to re-establish Toys R Us as a leading toy chain, parent company WHP Global plans to open 20 seasonal shops in 2025. The rollout includes one Garden State location, at Deptford Mall in Deptford.
Other outposts will come soon to malls in Indiana, New Hampshire, California, Michigan and Colorado, WHP said in an Oct. 16 press release. Sites in Michigan, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland, Utah and Washington state have already opened, the firm said.
Call it a comeback
The launches come about two years after WHP announced it will work with Go! Retail Group to open two dozen smaller format locations across the U.S.
In a statement, Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys R Us at WHP Global, said, “We’re thrilled to continue expanding through our partnership with Go! Retail Group. This next phase of growth brings the magic of Toys R Us to even more communities across the country — just in time for the holidays — and delivers the joyful shopping experience that has made us a trusted destination for generations.”
In 2017, Wayne-headquartered Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy protection and shut down all stores across the country. After Parsippany-based Tru Kids Inc.’s unsuccessful attempt to help the chain, brand management firm WHP took over Toys R Us four years ago.
Toys R Us went on to make its U.S. retail comeback in December 2021. It launched with a two-level, 20,000 square-foot store at American Dream. WHP also forged partnerships with Macy’s to open shop-in-shops at the department store chain’s 450 stores nationwide.
‘Convenient, family-friendly destinations’
The Toys R Us brick-and-mortar footprint has since grown to 19 other branded stores. Locations are found across Washington, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, California, Georgia and Arizona.
According to Go! Retail Group, eight new flagship stores will open soon in Kansas, New York, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Maryland, California and Illinois.
Toys R Us bills the flagship locations and seasonal shops as “convenient, family-friendly destinations.” They offer an “easy-to-shop experience” featuring an assortment of the season’s most popular brands, like Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Nerf and Paw Patrol, the Texas-headquartered firm said.
It was not clear how long the pop-up stores will be open. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
Go! Retail Group CEO Gideon Schlessinger commented, “This holiday marks an important step in our expansion strategy for the Toys R Us brand. Through both flagship stores and seasonal holiday shops, we are delivering the same experience nationwide, strengthening our presence while meeting consumer demand during the most important season of the year.”
Additional openings will be announced throughout the season, Go! Retail Group said.
