Toys 'R' Us opens a new brick-and-mortar store Saturday at a 56-year-old Ohio mall, launching plans for 120 standalone locations nine years after bankruptcy.
The toy chain unlocked the doors today, Saturday, September 26, at Southern Park Mall in Boardman, Ohio. The move puts the brand back on the mall floor through a partnership with Go! Retail Group.
The Sun reported the opening as the first visible step in a broader push that company leaders framed as a major return to physical retail across the United States.
Southern Park Mall general manager Bill McClure welcomed the arrival in a press release.
"The mall has always been a community gathering place, and there’s something about adding a brand that brings back so many memories while creating new ones for families,"
McClure said.
Last week Toys 'R' Us revealed plans to open 120 new standalone stores. That wave is set to lift the total number of standalone locations in the country to 160.
Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys 'R' Us at parent company WHP Global, called the moment significant.
"This is a major moment for Toys 'R' Us as we significantly expand our presence across the United States,"
Uitdenhowen said. The company is also reaching shoppers through Toys 'R' Us shops inside Macy’s, airport locations, and Navy Exchanges.
Some of the new stores will include candy shops, cafés, and “Creator Studios.” Another store is scheduled to open in October at Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois.
The Boardman opening arrives as part of the chain's bid to reclaim its place with shoppers ahead of the holiday season.
Nine years after filing for bankruptcy, the retailer is rebuilding a physical footprint that once defined American childhood shopping trips.
Online reaction mixed nostalgia with relief at the shift away from pure screens. One Reddit user wrote, “Love it. I hope we shift to analog stuff more, with how bad the digital age is.”
Another added, “The kids who wanted toys finally have enough money to treat themselves and heal their inner children.”
That same nationwide standalone store rollout has drawn attention for its scale after years of limited physical presence.
Mall traffic and family destinations still matter. A 56-year-old center like Southern Park Mall gains a draw that parents and grandparents recognize instantly. The brand’s decision to pair traditional toy floors with cafés and creator spaces shows an effort to keep visitors longer than a quick online order allows.
Company leaders have framed the push as their biggest expansion effort in the post-closure era, tying new doors to both nostalgia and fresh formats.
Go! Retail Group is the partner handling the shop openings. WHP Global sits as the parent behind the Toys 'R' Us name. Together they are testing whether shoppers will still drive to a mall for the tactile experience of walking the aisles.
Further details on the scale appear in coverage of the chain’s plans for 120 new standalone stores as its largest U.S. move since bankruptcy.
The Illinois location at Yorktown Center follows next month, extending the same model into the Chicago suburbs. Additional sites inside department stores, airports, and military exchanges widen the reach beyond full standalone buildings.
For families who grew up with the brand, the Boardman store offers a concrete place to take kids instead of another scroll session. For the mall, it adds an anchor that trades on memory while inviting new shoppers through the doors.
Brick-and-mortar retail still works when a familiar name meets a real need, parents want aisles, kids want to touch the toys, and communities keep gathering at the mall.