Toys ‘R’ Us Is Back — What We Know About Its Relaunch

Let me paint a little picture for you: I grew up in the ‘80s, had three siblings, and I can remember very few times when my parents bought us toys when it wasn’t our birthday or Christmas. We lived on hand-me-downs, freebies from the neighbors, and we shared everything since there was six of us and we lived on one military salary.

I wouldn’t trade the days of using my tricycle as an ice-cream maker (it’s a long story), or drawing circles on a rock and using it as a play stove when I was little for anything.

However, there was nothing, and I mean nothing, like driving up to the Toys ‘R’ Us lights when I was a kid. My parents wouldn’t tell us we were going to avoid the noise, excitement, and impatience and such, and these trips maybe happened three times during my childhood. But, they happened. And it was glorious.

I remember one night in particular when we were driving by the Toys “R” Us after dark — it was a few weeks before Christmas and it looked so magical. We didn’t go in, but I remember my parents telling us it was almost Christmas and they were sure Santa was going to stop there before he got to our house, which he did because my sister got a Teddy Ruxpin and I got my beloved Peaches-N-Cream Barbie that year. It was the best Christmas ever.

If that’s not the most magical shit you’ve ever heard of, I don’t know how to assist you.

When I became an adult and had to work for a living, I managed a store in the mall and had to be there at 6am to get everything ready for Black Friday. It was the late ‘90s and there was a line outside the local Toys “R” Us that went through the parking lot and surely into the next town. Word on the street was there were limited quantities of Tickle Me Elmo, and everyone wanted him wrapped under the tree. I could literally feel the butterflies in my belly thinking back to when I was a kid and we’d go to Toys “R” Us and I would hope with all my might my favorite toy would be waiting for me.

If you are feeling nostalgic, or simply miss strolling the aisles of Toys “R” Us yourself, we’ve got good news: Toys “R” Us is relaunching in some stores just in time for the holidays — and we are beyond excited.

According to MSN, toy sales were hot last year and it’s the perfect time to bring back a store like Toys “R” Us, which filed for bankruptcy in 2017. “On Monday, brand management company WHP Global acquired a controlling interest in the parent company of Toys R Us,” reports MSN.

Yehuda Shmidman, CEO of WHP, “plans for Toys ”R Us stores to roll out in a variety of formats across the U.S. in time for the holiday season. Rather than its traditional, massive store layout, Toys R Us will relaunch as pop-ups, mini stores, flagships and airport locations,” according to MSN.

So, where can we relive some of the Toys “R” Us magic? You will be able to find them in over 400 Macy’s locations throughout the US next year, but their merchandise is available online now, according to CNBC.

You can also buy some Toys “R” Us merch from the Disney Stores in select Targets website, according to The Motley Fool.

Scary Mommy talked with Kids2, the parent company of Baby Einstein, Bright Starts, and Ingenuity who are all major players in the toy/parenting space. Kids2 and their brands create products and solutions for families around the world.

Owner and CEO of Kids2, Ryan Gunnigle, told us “Toys ‘R’ Us was a significant part of our business. While we are always evolving, Toys ‘R’ Us closing helped force a change in our business mindset to ensure we continued to have more irons in the fire and global opportunities in the pipeline as we cannot rely on one retailer too heavily – especially with how fast the economy, retail landscape and consumer purchase behaviors are changing.”

He is looking forward to the reinvented Toys “R” Us, saying, “Both Toys ‘R’ Us and Macy’s are iconic retail brands and I can appreciate the creation of this partnership trying to best meet the needs of consumers.”

This is exciting news and definitely something to look forward to for kids (and adults). Lord knows we need as much cheer and positivity as we can get.

Because really, none of us want to grow up — we just want to be Toys “R” Us kids for life.