Toys R Us Successor Embarks on Nationwide Comeback With Two Test Stores
The successor to Toys R Us, the iconic closed retailer, is making good on its promise to revive the brand's stores, with plans to open two of them – one in New Jersey and one Texas – this fall before expanding across the country with a format that will feature activities that can't be done when online shopping.
Tru Kids Brands, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, said it will debut the first two new Toys R Us stores in November for the holiday season in Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, and The Galleria in Houston.
"Brand partners and experiences will be announced in the coming weeks," Tru Kids said in statement.
Tru Kids, a company created in January that acquired many of the Toys R Us brands – not only Toys R Us, but Babies R Us and mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe – said it has now entered into a joint venture with B8ta, a San Francisco software-powered experiential retailer, "to launch a new store experience that will deliver the hottest toy products and brands, carefully curated and showcased in highly immersive smaller-format spaces."
Retailers are adopting smaller store footprints to lower overhead costs and offering activities to compete with the growing popularity of online shopping. That’s particularly important when the target audience is a group of busy, cost-conscious parents of young children who want to make sure their kids like a toy before they buy.
The two companies plan to open additional locations in prime, high-traffic U.S. retail markets over the course of 2020. The new stores will be considerably smaller than the original Toys R Us stores, at just about 6,500 square feet or so, according to a Tru Kids spokeswoman.
“With a 70-year heritage, the Toys R Us brand is beloved by kids and families around the world, and continues to play a leading role in the hearts and minds of today’s consumers,” Richard Barry, Tru Kids chief executive and interim co-CEO of the new joint venture, said in a statement. “We have an incredible opportunity to entirely reimagine the Toys R Us brand in the U.S. and are thrilled to partner with B8ta and key toy vendors to create a new, highly engaging retail experience designed for kids, families and to better fit within today’s retail environment."
Barry wasn't available for further comment.
Tru Kids said the new Toys R Us stores will be interactive and feature new events and activities every day, "from seeing toys displayed out of the box to test before making a purchase, to visiting different brand stations, to driving learning through play embracing STEAM [science, technology, engineering, art and math], or just having fun with Geoffrey the Giraffe in the open play space."
“As a kid, my memory of Toys R Us was running up and down the aisles kicking balls and playing with the coolest toys,” Phillip Raub, co-founder and president of B8ta and interim co-CEO of the Toys R Us joint venture, said in a statement. “As the retail landscape changes, so do consumer shopping habits. But what hasn’t changed is that kids want to touch everything and simply play. In partnership with Richard and his team, we are excited to bring back Toys R Us in an immersive way, focused on creating a fun and engaging experience for kids – and adults, too.”
Under B8ta’s innovative experiential retail model, brands can "showcase their products in an interactive, playground-like environment, creating an entirely new retail experience centered around product discovery and engagement," according to a statement.
The coming Toys R Us stores will operate under a consignment model, in which toy manufacturers will pay to get shelf space but keep all the sales from their products, according to the Tru Kids spokeswoman.
“The new Toys R Us stores will be the most progressive and advanced stores in its category in the world, and we hope to surprise and delight kids for generations to come,” Vibhu Norby, chief executive of B8ta, said in a statement.
