Once again, we’ll be seeing Toys R Us on Macy’s websites and stores in 2022, thanks to the new owners. After it closed its doors in the middle of 2018, June 29, to be more specific, the iconic chain announced its return to life in August this year. This is the second time it happened in four years when the company filed for bankruptcy in 2017.
The toy retailer suffered a few rough years. It led to the closure of its stores in the US, Britain, and Australia. Though operations in Asia and Africa were less affected, those in Canada, some parts of Europe, and Asia were sold to third parties. Attempts to revive the brand were made, the latest being this year.
b8ta’s Data
Toys R Us sold off the brand and all its assets in an attempt to pay off long-standing loans. In 2018, Tru Kids Brand purchased the rights to the name and, after a year, announced its partnership with b8ta, an experiential retailer. This paved the way for a slew of smaller stores based in malls that sold limited selections of curated toys, events, and brand experiences.
The 2019 reopening did not make much noise. Only two stores were opened just in time for the holiday season. One was in Houston, Texas, while the other was in Paramus, New Jersey. Adding to the disappointment was the fact that the Paramus store was found out to have installed sensors on the ceiling. These were what b8ta used to track and monitor the movement of the customers. It’s to gather data on what items attracted the shoppers most.
When b8ta was asked how they used the collected data and how long they stored them, they declined to comment. In addition, it wasn’t clear whether the shoppers were made aware of the focus group. Or if they were notified that while they were in the stores, technology was being used to gather data.
After thirteen months since the New Jersey and Texas Tru Kids stores opened, they closed. Within two weeks, the two branches shut down their doors in January of 2021. It’s due to the pandemic brought about by Covid-19. In addition, there was competition from the ever-increasing online shopping marketplaces.
Two months after that incident, WHP Global, a brand acquisition and management company, acquired TRU Kids, and Toys R Us rose anew.
The Rise of Toys R Us in 2022
Fast forward to August 2021, WHP Global made the announcement that they are in a partnership with Macy’s. They stated that they would be using the retailer’s website to sell toys again under the Toys R Us brand. As of this writing, the website isn’t live yet.
But the announcement stated that physical Toys R Us shop-in-shops will be added to the more than 400 brick-and-mortar Macy’s stores in location starting in 2022. While this is a huge disparity from the 1,500 stores previously operating, TRU Kids Brand assured that this would have a larger rollout than the 2019 attempt.
The toy company aims to encourage families to visit a Macy’s store. Then, they can buy other non-toy products, including millennials with young children in tow.
This may seem new to some but this isn’t the first time that Macy’s has signed a partnership with a big-named toy store brand. They aimed to lure a much broader demographic to their stores. In 2018, the retail giant partnered with FAO Schwarz, considered the oldest toy store in the US.
In 2003, FAO Schwarz filed for bankruptcy, and in 2009, it was acquired by Toys R Us. It is now owned by the ThreeSixty Group. In 2018, Macy’s opened more than 275 FAO Schwarz shop-in-shops in its stores across the US. It is presumed that this endeavor wasn’t as successful as it is now attempting it again with Toys R Us.
