Toys ‘R’ Us launches 120 new stores as adult collectors drive sales surge

Toys “R” Us, owned by WHP Global, is embarking on its largest post-bankruptcy expansion, planning to open 120 new brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. The initiative follows a 17% increase in U.S. toy sales during the first half of the year, the strongest in six years, driven largely by adults buying trading cards, collectibles and other “kidult” items, according to market tracker Circana. Adults now represent 55% of all toy purchases.

The new locations, ranging from 3,500 to 7,500 square feet, will appear in malls such as Woodbury Commons, White Plains, NY, and the Mall at Short Hills in Millburn, NJ, and will carry top brands like LEGO, Barbie and Pokémon, with some offering cafés and candy shops. Former Toys “R” Us chief executive Gerald Storch noted mall operators welcome the stores to keep shoppers on-site. The rollout is being managed by Go! Retail Group, which already runs roughly 40 stores, including flagship sites in American Dream mall and Mall of America, and aims to reach 160 stores in the coming weeks, far below the chain’s pre-bankruptcy peak of 750 outlets.