Toys R Us Plans to Reappear With 2 Smaller Stores in Malls

Big-box chain disappeared after bankruptcy filing
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 18, 2019 6:19 PM CDT
Toys R Us Plans to Reappear With 2 Smaller Stores in Malls
An artist rendering provided by Toys R Us shows a one of the new stores planned. It would be about 6,500 square feet, a fraction of the size of its former big-box stores.   (Courtesy of Toys“R”Us via AP)

The rebirth of Toys R Us will begin with two stores, which will be open in time for holiday shopping, the company says. The chain had shut down the last of its stores more than a year ago after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The new stores, which will be smaller than the pre-bankruptcy stores, will be in malls in Houston and Paramus, New Jersey, People reports. There had been hints of starting over with a couple store openings this year, but nothing had been made official until Thursday. Plans call for having 10 stores open by the end of 2020.

The chain will be a joint venture of tech retailer b8ta and Tru Kids, a new company started to manage the brand, per CBS. The joint venture said it will work with United for Respect, a worker advocacy group, to emphasize hiring Toys R Us employees who lost their jobs after the chain's liquidation. More than 30,000 people were put out of work when more than 740 stores closed in the US last year. But any employees brought back would be considered new hires, Tru Kids said. (More Toys R Us stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X