It was a sad day for many when Toys R Us stores closed their doors. But now, six years after the company went into administration, the iconic brand is making a comeback to the high street.
The company is now owed by WHP Global, which has partnered with WH Smith to bring a number of Toys R Us shop-in-shops to the UK.
Nine concessions have already opened elsewhere, but more than a dozen more are opening this summer, including one inside WHSmith at The Trafford Centre.
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To mark the opening on Saturday, July 13, the store will be hosting a grand opening event for customers from 10am to 2pm.
Geoffrey the Giraffe will be joining the WHSmith team for an official ribbon cutting when the store opens, before greeting visitors to the store throughout the morning. The first 100 children visiting the store will also receive a free Toys R Us goody bag worth over £20.
Doors will open at 10am so people will need to get there early for the giveaway.
The new shop-in-shop will feature a key range of products and activities from top toys brands including Barbie, Bluey, Hot Wheels, LEGO, Marvel, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Squishmallows, Star Wars and more.
Children will be able to access the latest products and play hands-on with their favourite toys at the demonstration tables in store. A life-size Geoffrey the Giraffe sculpture, great for photo opportunities, will also feature in the new store.
Trafford Centre is one of 30 WHSmith high street stores set to open before the end of the year and follows an initial launch of nine stores in 2023.
Ian Sanders, group commercial development director at WHSmith, said: “We’re really excited to be opening Toys R Us in Manchester. WHSmith is known for being the hub of the high street by providing customers with a range of great products and services.
“Partnering with Toys R Us gives us a leading toys and games range in our stores and means customers have even more reasons to shop with us. We look forward to welcoming many more customers into our store.”
Toys R Us launched in the UK in 1985, when it emerged as the ‘world’s first toy supermarket’. However, in 2017 the US parent company filed for bankruptcy after debts reached more than £3.5billion.
A year later, the iconic toy chain collapsed, closing all of its 100 UK branches and triggering thousands of redundancies.
In 2021, owner WHP Global signed an agreement with Toys R Us Australia to lead the brand’s revival in the UK.
WHP Global had previously acquired a controlling interest in Tru Kids, the parent company of the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands.