Toys R Us plans to triple its standalone U.S. store count by the end of 2026, betting that American families still want a dedicated toy store, not just an aisle inside a department chain.
The retailer announced Thursday that it will open 120 new standalone locations across the country before the year is out, a push carried out in partnership with Go! Retail Group. The company currently operates about 40 standalone stores along with shop-in-shop locations inside Macy's.
If the plan holds, Toys R Us would go from 40 freestanding stores to roughly 160 in a matter of months, an aggressive timeline for a brand that shuttered every one of its U.S. locations less than a decade ago.
The arc is worth remembering. Private equity firms bought Toys R Us in 2005 for $6.6 billion, a figure drawn from Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The debt load from that leveraged buyout eventually crushed the retailer. Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed all of its American stores by 2018.
A brief comeback attempt in 2019 produced two new brick-and-mortar locations. Both were shuttered. The reasons were never fully explained.
WHP Global, a brand management firm, acquired a controlling stake in Toys R Us in 2021. That December, the company launched a two-story global flagship store at the American Dream shopping mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A second flagship followed at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, though the company's own materials give conflicting dates, placing the opening in either late 2023 or January 4, 2024.
The trajectory mirrors a broader pattern in American retail, where legacy brands that once seemed finished are finding new footing through reinvention rather than liquidation.
Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys R Us at WHP Global, framed the expansion as a statement of intent. In a company release, he said:
"This is a major moment for [Toys R Us] as we significantly expand our presence across the United States. Together with our incredible partners, we are growing Toys R Us in unique ways to meet customers wherever they are, whether that's at a standalone store in their hometown, inside Macy's, at the airport or at a Navy Exchange."
That last detail, airports and Navy Exchange locations, hints at a distribution strategy far wider than the old suburban-mall model. The company did not specify which airports or military retail sites currently carry its products.
Toys R Us also signaled that select new stores will include features the original chain never had: "Creator Studios" designed as dedicated spaces for influencers, toy brands, and content creators to unveil products and host events. Some locations will add candy shops and cafes.
The company described the approach as "building on that legacy by bringing customers the hottest toys, biggest trends and experiences that make the brand unlike any other." Whether candy shops and influencer studios translate into sustained foot traffic remains an open question.
For all the ambition, the announcement is light on specifics. Toys R Us has not disclosed which cities or states will get the 120 new stores. It has not said whether all 120 will open simultaneously or roll out in phases before the end-of-year deadline. And it has not detailed Go! Retail Group's precise operational role, whether the partner handles leasing, staffing, logistics, or all three.
The timeline alone raises eyebrows. Opening 120 retail locations in roughly three months demands enormous capital, real estate deals, staffing pipelines, and supply-chain coordination. The company has given no public accounting of how it plans to execute at that pace.
Retail comebacks are notoriously uneven. Some brands, like Claire's after its own bankruptcy, have managed to rebuild by redesigning the in-store experience. Others have stumbled, and the broader brick-and-mortar landscape remains difficult, major retailers continue to flee traditional malls even as standalone concepts gain traction.
The Toys R Us brand itself has already tested the waters with a more modest footprint. Its earlier California store opening was part of a slower expansion push. Thursday's announcement represents a dramatic acceleration.
And the related Babies R Us brand has pursued its own parallel strategy, with Kohl's recently expanding that partnership across dozens of new locations.
Toys R Us is wagering that parents and kids still want to walk through a store full of toys, that browsing aisles, picking up boxes, and discovering products in person offers something Amazon and Walmart's websites cannot replicate. The Creator Studios and in-store events suggest the company sees itself less as a traditional retailer and more as an experience destination.
That bet carries real risk. The leveraged buyout that destroyed the original Toys R Us left behind a cautionary tale about overleveraging a beloved brand. The 2019 relaunch flopped after two stores. Consumer habits have shifted further toward online shopping in the years since.
But the brand still carries enormous name recognition. Millions of American adults grew up wandering those aisles. If Toys R Us can match nostalgia with execution, and if 120 stores can actually open on schedule, the holiday season could mark the most significant retail revival in years.
Nostalgia is a powerful draw. Execution is what separates a comeback from a rerun.