You could call Geoffrey the Giraffe the comeback kid.
On the eve of Toy Fair in New York, WHP Global, parent company of Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us, revealed plans to continue the rebirth of the famed toy store brand in the U.S. in partnership with Go! Retail Group. Under the new deal, Toys “R” Us flagship stores will begin opening across the U.S. beginning in 2024.
The move comes as part of the WHP’s “Air, Land, and Sea” rollout for Toys “R” Us which includes the recently announced airport store at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in partnership with Duty Free Americas. Additionally, Geoffrey and the gang will hit the open seas on cruise ships with more details set to be revealed.
Go! Retail Group plans to open as many as 24 Toys “R” Us flagship stores that are similar to the existing 20,000 square foot location at the American Dream mall in New Jersey (operated under license by Toys 4 U). Locations will be chosen in an effort to complement the existing Toys “R” Us at Macy’s locations — 452 of which opened last year.
The Toys “R” Us brand is growing fast and our expansion into air, land and sea is a testament to the brand’s strength. Since acquiring Toys “R” Us, we have increased our global retail footprint by more than 50% with openings in the U.S., UK, India, Dubai, and Mexico. We now have over 1,400 stores and e-commerce sites across 31 countries, and as we head into 2024, we are excited to bring Toys “R” Us to consumers everywhere, whether you're visiting one of our stores at Macy’s, at our flagships, in an airport, or onboard a cruise ship.”
Go! Retail Group, which currently operates toy and game stores in malls across the U.S., plans to tap into its existing logistics infrastructure to support the Toys “R’ Us expansion.
“With over 30 years of experience in all 50 states, our focus will be to do what we do best — provide valuable brick-and-mortar logistics and operational excellence to this iconic brand,” says Gideon Schlessinger, CEO of Go! Retail Group.
WHP says that its cruise ship expansion will offer families exclusive, cruise-inspired merchandise to enhance their travel journeys.
This weekend, timed with Toy Fair, WHP Global will host its annual Toys “R” Us Global Summit in New York City in which attendees from more than 30 countries will gather to celebrate and plan for the future of the storied retail brand.
