Toys ‘R’ Us Owner WHP Global Scores a $1.6 Billion Valuation Following Ares Investment
The Toys “R” Us at Macy’s flagship at Herald Square in New York City | Source: WHP Global

While Geoffrey the Giraffe and members of the Toys “R” Us team were announcing a U.S. Tour at The Play Date (hosted by The Toy Book and The Toy Association) in New York City on Thursday, parent company WHP Global was making some news of its own.

The global brand management firm behind Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us, Express, Anne Klein, Isaac Mizrahi, and more, received a $375 million equity investment from funds managed by Ares Management Corp.’s private equity group.

The transaction placed a $1.6 billion valuation on WHP Global.

Geoffrey the Giraffe reads the new issue of The Toy Book at The Play Date in New York City, March 8, 2023.
Source: James Devin/Adventure Media & Events

“WHP Global has experienced record-setting growth since its founding in 2019, and this new significant investment from Ares gives us a powerful edge to capitalize on today’s robust mergers and acquisitions market as we chart the course for our next phase of growth,” says Yehuda Shmidman, Chairman and CEO of WHP Global.

Related: State of the Industry Q&A 2023: WHP Global, Toys ‘R’ Us, Babies ‘R’ Us

The WHP Global shareholder base includes Ares, Oaktree Capital Management, Solus Alternative Asset Management, Platform Founder Group, and WHP employees.

According to the company, the brands in the WHP portfolio generate more than $6.5 billion in annual retail sales.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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