Toys ‘R’ Us is back! Now operating almost exclusively online, the toy brand is working with Target to relaunch after its 2017 closure.
Toys ‘R’ Us filed for bankruptcy in September 2017 due to increasing debt and competition from online retailers. Now the brand is preparing for a comeback with the help of Target — when you click on an item on the ToysRUs.com website, you will be redirected to Target.com.
Richard Barry, CEO of Tru Kids, which owns Toys ‘R’ Us, wants to bring back the toy store in a different way. “Our US strategy is to bring back the Toys ‘R’ Us brand in a modern way through a strong experiential and content-rich omnichannel concept,” Barry said in an official statement.
“The foundation of that strategy requires the help of a retail industry leader, and Target is the ideal retailer to support a new Toys ‘R’ Us shopping experience.”
Tru Kids announced the opening of two physical stores in July, in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season. These stores are in the works at The Galleria in Houston and the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. The stores will be partially run by “b8ta,” a software company specializing in immersive retail experiences. Tru Kids described the stores as “interactive” in their announcement.
But besides these two stores, Toys ‘R’ Us will mostly run online, like its largest competitor, Amazon.com. It’s just one part of Target’s expansion for this year’s holiday season, which includes 25 Disney brand stores inside Target locations, and the hiring of more than 130,000 seasonal employees.
Toys ‘R’ Us will still have its wide selection of toys, games, and other kid-friendly equipment, but the age-old experience of exploring a Toys ‘R’ Us store may be gone for good.
