Gerald Storch, CEO of Storch Advisors, joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss consumer resilience during the holiday season and how retailers have coped with the impact of tariffs. Toys R Us is bringing its iconic toy aisles to another American mall as the once-dominant retailer continues its return to brick-and-mortar stores that has nostalgic fans excited. A new location is coming to the Northridge Fashion Center in California’s San Fernando Valley, joining a growing list of Toys R Us stores opening across the country, years after the chain closed its U.S. locations. The mall’s website lists Toys R Us as “Coming Soon,” while the retailer’s website now lists more than 30 freestanding, flagship locations across the country. RETRO PIZZA HUT DRAWS CUSTOMERS FROM HOURS AWAY AS 80’s NOSTALGIA SENSES SALES BOOST Signs for Toys R Us and Babies R Us are displayed outside a retail store as shoppers walk through the parking lot. Toys R Us has continued to rebuild its physical presence since its bankruptcy in 2017 and U.S. store closures in 2018. (RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images) News of the latest location quickly caught the attention of longtime Toys R Us fans, with some calling for the retailer to lean into its nostalgic appeal and bring back toys from decades past. “They should make a retro toy section for us adults who were kids so we can relive our childhood memories back in the day,” one person commented on a post on What’s New SFV, a local social media page dedicated to events in San Fernando. Valley. Another commenter seemed ready for even more well-known retailers to return, writing, “Now bring back JoAnn’s and Payless.” DISNEYLAND FANS CALL FOR RETURN OF BELOVED ’60S ATTRACTION CLOSED DECADES AGO A view of Macy’s Toys R Us on July 11, 2022, in Jersey City, New Jersey (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s, Inc/Getty Images) Northridge’s opening marks the latest chapter in a year-long effort to rebuild a brand that was once a fixture of American childhood. Toys R Us, which once dominated toy sales in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2017 after years of declining sales and under the weight of $5 billion in debt. The retailer closed its US stores in 2018 before the brand re-emerged under new parent company Tru Kids Brands the following year. In November 2019, Toys R Us opened a nearly 6,000-square-foot smaller-format store at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, marking its return to traditional retail in the U.S. A second location followed at The Galleria in Houston, Texas. Both stores subsequently closed in January 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Closing signs outside the Toys R Us store in Coventry, Britain, March 13, 2018. (Reuters/Hannah McKay / Reuters) Brand management firm WHP Global acquired a majority stake in Toys R Us in March 2021 and has since worked to rebuild the retailer’s physical footprint. Later that year, Toys R Us opened a 20,000-square-foot flagship at American Dream in New Jersey. The return expanded further in 2022 with the launch of hundreds of Toys R Us stores within Macy’s stores nationwide. RETURN OF CRACKER BARREL WINS BACK AS LOYAL CUSTOMER SAYS RETURN VISIT ‘FELT LIKE COMING HOME’ “Macy’s can’t wait to bring the Toys R Us experience to life in our stores,” Nata Dvir, Macy’s Chief Merchandising Officer, said at the time. “We hope that Toys R Us children of all ages will discover the joy of exploring and playing in our stores and that families will create special memories together.” The partnership also provided a major boost to Macy’s toy business. The retailer said its toy sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 were 15 times higher than during the comparable period before the partnership with Toys R Us. PALISADES VILLAGE WILL REOPEN, MARKING A NEW MILEON FOR A COMMUNITY DEVASTATED BY FIRE A classic Toys R Us store displays the iconic multi-color logo above its entrance. The toy retailer is expanding its physical presence in the United States years after closing its stores across the country. (Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images) Toys R Us then set its sights on an even broader comeback. WHP Global announced in 2023 that it would partner with Go! Retail Group will roll out additional Toys R Us flagship stores in the U.S. starting in 2024, part of an expansion strategy the company called “air, land and sea.” “The Toys R Us brand is growing rapidly and our expansion into the air, land and sea is a testament to the strength of the brand,” WHP President and Global CEO Yehuda Shmidman said when the plans were announced. Shmidman said the company had increased the brand’s global retail presence by more than 50% since acquiring Toys R Us, with more than 1,400 stores and e-commerce sites in 31 countries at that time. The company also expanded beyond traditional shopping malls, opening its first store at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and announcing plans to bring the brand aboard cruise ships. Expansion in the US has continued. The Toys R Us website now lists more than 30 freestanding, flagship locations across the country, in addition to the brand’s presence inside Macy’s stores. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPThe planned Northridge location is the latest sign that the retailer synonymous with generations of children’s wish lists, continues to rebuild its physical presence across the country. Fox News Digital has reached out to Toys R Us and Northridge Fashion Center for comment.
