Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the toy store…
The late Toys “R” Us—which died a long, slow death over the past two years—is being resurrected this holiday season.
Parent company Tru Kids Brand has teamed with software-powered retailer b8ta to launch a new, curated shopping experience designed for children.
Two new Toys “R” Us locations are set to open later this year in The Galleria in Houston, Texas, and Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.
“We have an incredible opportunity to entirely reimagine the Toys “R” Us brand in the US and are thrilled to … create a new, highly engaging retail experience designed for kids [and] families,” Richard Barry, CEO of Tru Kids and interim co-CEO of the new Toys “R” Us joint venture, said in a statement.
Aimed at the next generation of ADHD-riddled children, the playground-like environments are centered around product discovery and engagement. Highly interactive, each store will feature fresh activities and events every day.
Test toys before making a purchase. Embrace education with STEAM projects. Or just pal around with Geoffrey the Giraffe.
“As a kid, my memory of Toys “R” Us was running up and down the aisles kicking balls and playing with the coolest toys,” b8ta president Phillip Raub, interim co-CEO of the new joint venture, reminisced.
“As the retail landscape changes, so do consumer shopping habits. But what hasn’t changed is that kids want to touch everything and simply play,” he continued.
(In my experience, adults aren’t so different.)
“The new Toys “R” Us stores will be the most progressive and advanced stores in its category in the world,” according to Vibhu Norby, CEO of b8ta. “And we hope to surprise and delight kids for generations to come.”
Additional U.S. locations will pop up through 2020, though no formal plans have been announced.
After 70 years of bringing joy to children across the globe, Toys “R” Us in 2017 filed for bankruptcy, and in March 2018 announced that its U.S. operations were going out of business.
Nationwide stores closed last June.
As part of going out of business, Toys “R” Us also sold off its intellectual property—including some spicy sexual domains.
More on Geek.com:
- YouTube’s Top Earner Is a 7-Year-Old Who Made $22M Reviewing Toys
- Amazon May Take Over Where Toys “R” Us Left Off
- New Bill Stops ‘Grinch Bots’ From Stealing Holiday Shopping
