Toys “R” Us is back in time for your holiday toy-shopping needs.
In a way.
ToysRUs.com is relaunching today, offering up a wide selection of games and playthings, but when you click on an item to purchase, there’s a button to check availability at Target.com. You’re then redirected to the website of the Minneapolis-based big-box retailer.
“Our U.S. strategy is to bring back the Toys ‘R’ Us brand in a modern way through a strong experiential and content-rich omnichannel concept,” Richard Barry, CEO of Tru Kids, which owns the toy store brand, said in a statement. “The foundation of that strategy requires the help of a retail industry leader and Target is the ideal retailer to support a new Toys ‘R’ Us shopping experience.”
Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy in September 2017 after years of dealing with increased competition, especially from online retailers, and carrying a large debt load.
In July, Tru Kids announced it was opening two physical stores for the holiday season at The Galleria in Houston and Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, with the help of b8ta, a software company specializing in immersive retail experiences. “Interactive” and “engagement” were descriptions Tru Kids used at the time.
Target.com will also power online sales in the pair of new Toys “R” Us experiential retail stores, the companies said today.
Target has been going big in anticipation of the holiday shopping rush. On Thursday, it announced the opening of the first of 25 Disney stores in Target locations, and last month came news the chain was hiring more than 130,000 seasonal employees for stores and distribution centers.
Tru Kids also owns the brands Babies “R” Us and Geoffrey the Giraffe.
Toys “R” Us founder—and the man who came up with the backwards R—Charles Lazarus opened a baby furniture store in 1948 and nine years later, started selling toys, too, and changed the name to Toys “R” Us. He died in March 2018 right after the company started liquidating stores.
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