Toys "R" Us Returns With Geoffrey's Toy Box Inside Kroger Stores

Geoffrey, the famed Toys 'R' Us mascot, is back and in a place few might have expected - Kroger. [...]

By James Viscardi

Geoffrey, the famed Toys "R" Us mascot, is back and in a place few might have expected - Kroger. That's right, months after the official demise of the toy giant, fans of all ages can experience being a Toys "R" Us kid once again inside their local supermarket.

Today, the Ohio-based Kroger has announced that they will be the new home for the nostalgic toy brand. Fans have also noticed that their local stores have started to receive new pallet sized shipments bearing the Geoffrey, LLC branding which includes a small selection of toys. As of right now, the current toy options are not getting anyone too excited to run to their local grocery store to do their holiday shopping, but it will provide an opportunity for Kroger to get in on the action.

From the press release, Kroger's senior vice president of merchandising said the following, "Geoffrey's Toy Box delivers a unique shopping destination within Kroger stores. We're excited to offer Geoffrey's Toy Box this holiday season to provide our customers with the opportunity to purchase a selection of toys once exclusive to Toys "R" Us."

Richard Barry, current EVP at Geoffrey's toybox followed it up with, "We are thrilled to partner with Kroger to bring a curated collection of product from our beloved portfolio of brands to American consumers this holiday."

Earlier this year, we reported that Toys "R" Us' current lenders decided not to sell off the brand name, or giraffe. Instead the plan was to operate a "shop-within-a-shop" concept that we've seen other toy brands like Build A Bear Workshop to do great success. Geoffrey's Toy Box was described as the following when making an appearance at the Dallas Toy Preview in October: ""Wholesale toy distributor and intellectual property company whose focus is on popular play patterns across trusted brands that kids and parents love. Geoffrey's Toy Box is a fully outfitted organization with design, development and global sourcing expertise. Portfolio includes popular brands like Journey Girls, Fastlane, True Heroes, You & Me, Imaginarium, Just like Home and more!"

Given that the supposed portfolio does not include brands like Hasbro, Mattel and other brands who carry popular licenses from Marvel, DC and beyond, we wouldn't get our hopes up that Kroger would be carrying any exclusives anytime soon.

For a full list of participating Kroger locations, click here.

What do you think of Toys "R" Us' first step back into the limelight with Geoffrey's Toy Box? Let us know in the comments below, and if you start to see these pop up in your local Kroger, tweet photos at us!

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