Toys R Us Teams With Major Store for Another Comeback After Bankruptcy
For a generation of fans, Toys 'R' Us is a staple of childhood, with the toy company offering shoppers a whimsical and unpredictable experience. In recent years, the company has made headlines for its various evolutions, after it initially filed for bankruptcy in the fall of 2017. A lot of that evolution has included partnering with existing brick-and-mortar franchise to offer a new in-person shopping experience — and it looks like the company will be trying that once again. On Monday, it was announced that Toys 'R' Us will be opening shops inside of every Macy's location in the United States, with the goal of being completely operational by the holiday season.
"Macy's cannot wait to bring the Toys"R"Us experience to life in our stores," Nata Dvir, Macy's chief merchandising officer, said in a statement. "We hope Toys"R"Us kids of all ages discover the joy of exploration and play within our shops and families create special memories together. The customer response to our partnership with Toys"R"Us has been incredible and our toy business has seen tremendous growth."
The rollout of the collaboration between Macy's and Toys 'R' Us will begin in late July and tentatively end on October 15th. The in-store Toys 'R' Us locations will range from 1,000 square feet, to as much as 10,000 square feet in Macy's flagship locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. That footprint might increase by an additional 500 to 3,000 square feet during the 2022 holiday season.
Each location will include hands-on demonstration tables to allow customers to interact with toys, as well as a life-size photo op of Geoffrey the Giraffe. Macy's will also be hosting nine days of in-store events from October 15th through October 23rd, which will include family friendly activities and daily giveaways from brands like Barbie®, LEGO® and more.
Macy's has previously been the digital home of Toys 'R' Us toys, which has reportedly led to the company's toy sales increasing 15x.
"As a Toys"R"Us kid, I could not be more excited to bring this beloved brand that so many of our customers know and love into Macy's online and to our stores across America," Dvir said in a statement at the time. "Our toy business grew exponentially in the past year, with many families looking to inspire their children's imagination and create meaningful moments together. Toys"R"Us is a globally recognized leader in children's toys and our partnership allows Macy's to significantly expand our footprint in that category, while creating more occasions for customers to shop with us across their lifestyles."
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