Global Toy News Insight
Toys“R”Us is making one of its biggest U.S. retail moves in years, announcing plans to open 120 new standalone stores this holiday season through its partnership with Go! Retail Group. The rollout is expected to bring the brand to 160 standalone U.S. locations, alongside its existing Macy’s shops, airport locations, and Navy Exchange presence. The stores will feature major toy and entertainment properties including LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon, and KPop Demon Hunters, while select locations will introduce Creator Studios designed for product reveals, influencer content, launches, and special events.
For the toy industry, the bigger story may be the return of dedicated toy retail at meaningful scale. Toys“R”Us is positioning its stores not simply as places to transact, but as discovery and experiential destinations — something that could give manufacturers another physical showcase for launches, collectibles, emerging properties, and holiday-driven impulse purchases. The jump from 40 to 160 standalone stores also represents a significant expansion of physical shelf space just as suppliers compete for holiday visibility. Combined with Toys“R”Us locations inside Macy’s and its growing travel-retail footprint, the strategy suggests the brand sees opportunity in meeting consumers across multiple retail environments while rebuilding the kind of toy-focused discovery experience that became much harder to find after the chain’s original U.S. stores disappeared.
Toys”R”Us® Announces Major U.S. Expansion With 120 New Standalone Stores Opening This Holiday Season
Landmark Expansion with Go! Retail Group Brings Toys”R”Us to More Customers Across America, Alongside New Store Experiences and Growing Travel Retail Footprint
NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Toys”R”Us®, the world’s leading authority in toys and play, today announced a major U.S. retail expansion, with 120 standalone Toys”R”Us stores opening across the country this holiday season in partnership with Go! Retail Group.
The nationwide rollout marks a major milestone in the continued growth of Toys”R”Us in the United States, with 160 standalone stores set to be open across the country by the holiday season. The new stores expand the brand’s existing U.S. retail footprint, which includes 40 standalone stores and Toys”R”Us shops inside Macy’s stores nationwide, giving customers more ways and more places than ever to shop and experience Toys”R”Us.
“This is a major moment for Toys”R”Us as we significantly expand our presence across the United States,” said Jamie Uitdenhowen, Executive Vice President of Toys”R”Us at WHP Global. “Together with our incredible partners, we are growing Toys”R”Us in unique ways to meet customers wherever they are, whether that’s at a standalone store in their hometown, inside Macy’s, at the airport or at a Navy Exchange. Toys”R”Us has always been a place for discovery, and we’re building on that legacy by bringing customers the hottest toys, biggest trends and experiences that make the brand unlike any other.”
The new standalone Toys”R”Us stores will feature a curated assortment of the season’s hottest toys, collectibles and must-have gifts from the world’s most popular toy brands and latest movies, including LEGO®, Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Pokémon, KPop Demon Hunters, and more. As a trusted authority in toys and play, Toys”R”Us brings together the biggest brands, emerging trends and sought-after products all in one place, creating a destination for kids, gift-givers, collectors and fans of all ages to discover what’s new and what’s next.
Select locations will introduce new experiences at the intersection of play, entertainment and content creation, including Creator Studios, dedicated spaces where influencers, creators and toy brands can create content, unveil new products and host toy reveals, launches and special events. Select stores will also feature candy shops and cafés, giving customers even more reasons to explore, discover and spend time at Toys”R”Us.
“This holiday season represents an extraordinary expansion for Toys”R”Us in the U.S., and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the magic of Toys”R”Us to so many communities across the country,” said Gideon Schlessinger, CEO of Go! Retail Group. “There’s something special about walking into a Toys”R”Us store, especially during the holidays—the excitement of discovering the hottest toys, seeing favorite brands and characters come to life, and finding that perfect gift. With 160 stores open this season, we have an incredible opportunity to bring that experience to millions of customers and create destinations they’ll want to come back to throughout the year.”
Beyond its growing network of stores, Toys”R”Us is continuing to expand its U.S. footprint by serving customers wherever they live, shop and travel.
Building on its expansion into travel retail, Toys”R”Us will open new airport shop-in-shops at Orlando International Airport (MCO) in partnership with WHSmith North America, with the first location having opened in August and the second scheduled to open in summer 2027. The new locations bring Toys”R”Us to one of the country’s largest family travel markets, giving travelers to and from Orlando and the greater Central Florida region another way to experience the brand along their journey.
Together, the new standalone stores, airport shop-in-shops, Toys”R”Us shops inside Macy’s, and shop-in-shops with the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), represent the next phase of the brand’s U.S. growth strategy: meeting customers wherever they live, shop and travel, and creating more ways than ever to discover and experience Toys”R”Us this holiday season.
To find a Toys”R”Us store near you, visit toysrus.com/store-locator and follow @ToysRUs on social.
ABOUT TOYS”R”US
Toys”R”Us is a global leader in the toy industry, celebrating the joys of childhood and play for over 70 years. Geoffrey the Giraffe™, the beloved mascot of Toys”R”Us, is adored by millions of kids and their families around the world. Globally, the brand generates more than USD $2 billion in annual retail sales through over 1,680 stores and e-commerce businesses in 37 countries. Toys”R”Us is owned by WHP Global, a leading brand management firm with a portfolio of 16+ consumer brands that generate USD$9.5+ billion in retail sales.
ABOUT GO! RETAIL GROUP
Go! Retail Group, a family-owned company based in Austin, TX, is home to a diverse portfolio of brands, including Toys”R”Us, Babies”R”Us, Calendars.com, Go! Toys & Games, and Snoozimals. Since 1993, the company has grown to operate an extensive network of pop-up stores across six countries, alongside year-round retail locations, e-commerce, and wholesale. For more information, visit: www.goretailgroup.com.
