July 19, 2022
Courtesy of/Macy's, Inc.
As part of Macy's and Toys 'R' Us' ongoing partnership, each Macy's store in the United States will open a Toys 'R' Us shop just ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Those looking to start their holiday shopping early will soon be able to browse Toys "R" Us at every Macy's location in the United States, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday.
Macy's began its partnership with the toy seller in 2021, opening small sections of its online store for Toys "R" Us products, which comes in handy around the holiday season. The expansion will help grow the sections into small Toys "R" Us locations, providing shopping for kids of all ages.
The sections will also provide photo opportunities with Geoffrey the Giraffe, the official Toys "R" Us mascot.
The in-store shops will range in size from 1,000 square feet at traditional Macy's stores, to up to 10,000 square feet in Macy's 11 flagship locations. During the holiday shopping season, the shops may expand in size in order to accommodate a wide assortment of products.
There are more than 12 Macy's locations in the Greater Philadelphia region, including the Center City store, located in the former Wanamaker Building. Others include Cherry Hill, the King of Prussia Mall, and a location at Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia. You can find the closest Macy's store near you by checking online.
"Macy's cannot wait to bring the Toys 'R' Us experience to life in our stores," said Nata Dvir, Macy's chief merchandising officer. "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."
This is the first major expansion of the Toys "R" Us brand since the 70-year-old company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017, and closed more than 700 stores across the United States by the end of 2018.
Founded in 1948, Toys "R" Us was America's primary toy seller for decades before the advent and popularization of online shopping, which majorly impacted sales at the company's brick-and-mortar stores.
🚨 ATTENTION 🚨 Toys“R”Us is coming back to a @macys store near you! Check it all out here: https://t.co/NbTZhMmkWE #ToysRUsAtMacys #ToysRUs #ToysRUsIsBack pic.twitter.com/GgftoAbkRh
— Toys"R"Us (@ToysRUs) July 18, 2022
Still, toy sales surged by 16% during 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic sent children home for long periods of time, according to the NDP Group, a market-research company.
Toy sales through March 2020 were flat for more than a year, CNBC reported, but picked up each month during the first year of the pandemic, particularly in May and October of 2020.
Each Toys "R" Us location will include "Geoffrey on a Bench," a life-size photo opportunity for families. There will also be a space dedicated to toy demonstrations.
To celebrate the openings, all Macy's locations will host nine days of in-store events from Oct. 15 through Oct. 23, including family-friendly activities and giveaways of toys from brands like Barbie and LEGO.
The closure of more than 700 Toys "R" Us locations was met with sadness among children and adults alike, many of whom spent their childhoods shopping at the largest toy seller in the country. In Pennsylvania, 28 locations closed by the end of 2018. In its home state of New Jersey, the company closed 22 locations by the same time.
After announcing the closure of all of its U.S. stores, the company posted the last words on its website and in its shuttered storefronts: "I guess everyone has grown up. There are no more Toys 'R' Us kids," a reference to the store's jingle.
Toys R Us closing it’s doors. I’m crying. pic.twitter.com/2eeOKd7baz
— Charlie Muncaster (@CMuncasterMusic) June 29, 2018
Macy's has benefitted heavily from the partnership with Toys "R" Us, with toy sales 15 times higher in the first quarter of 2022. Online shoppers can continue to browse Toys "R" Us branded toys on Macy's website.
Beginning in late July and early August, Macy's will update its Toys "R" Us webpage with opening dates for the expanded locations. All of the stores are slated to open by October, just in time for holiday shopping season.
