Don Quijote operator to take over Toys R Us Japan stores
Pan Pacific International Holdings, which runs the Don Quijote discount chain, announced it will acquire the Toys R Us Japan business, aiming to keep the 150 stores and most staff.
Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp., operator of the Don Quijote discount stores, confirmed it will acquire Toys R Us Japan after the toy chain entered rehabilitation proceedings before the Tokyo District Court. Chosen as the sponsor, Pan Pacific International intends to take control of roughly 150 Japanese toy stores and retain employees wherever possible, while temporarily keeping the Toys R Us brand. President Hideki Moriya explained that the purchase expands the company's reach to infants, children and families, and will leverage Don Quijote's popularity with inbound tourists.
The group is also exploring the placement of Toys R Us shops inside its Uny Co. outlets and larger Don Quijote locations. Toys R Us Japan, which opened its first store in 1991, has survived the U.S. parent’s 2017 bankruptcy but now confronts declining birth rates and growing e-commerce competition.
Why it matters
The deal reshapes Japan's retail landscape, potentially preserving jobs and expanding a major discount chain into the toy market.
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