Toys R Us to open 120 stores, biggest expansion in years thanks to adults who didnt wanna grow up

Here’s some good news for adults who “didn’t wanna grow up,” as the old ad jingle had it.Toys “R” Us is kicking off its biggest expansion in nearly a decade, opening 120 stores amid surging demand from adult customers, the company said Thursday.The retailer — whose 2017 bankruptcy devastated the toy industry — inked one-year leases across the country as toy sales notched their biggest spike since 2020, according to Circana, which tracks consumer data.   The new locales include Woodbury Commons and the Westchester in White Plains, NY, and the Mall at Short Hills in Millburn, NJ.Toy sales in the US grew 17% in the first half of the year – the strongest first-half performance in six years – largely fueled by adults who are snatching up trading cards and collectibles, according to Circana.Adults now account for 55% of all toy sales, the researcher found.Mall operators like having toy stores on premises, “so shoppers don’t feel like they have to leave the mall and go to Walmart or Target,” observed former Toys “R” Us chief executive Gerald Storch. The new stores will offer some of the biggest brands, including LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon and KPop Demon Hunters – and some will have cafes and candy shops, according to the company.New York-based Toys “R” Us is owned by WHP Global, the brand licensing firm that also owns Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and Lands’ End.The brick-and-mortar strategy is being led by Go! Retail Group, which operates pop-up stores and quietly began the Toys “R” Us expansion last year. There are currently about 40 stores, including locations inside Macy’s and 20,000-square-foot flagships in American Dream mall in East Rutherford, NJ and at Minnesota’s Mall of America.  The expansion push started last month when Go! Retail began opening 3,500- to 7,500-square-foot stores, said a spokesperson for Toys “R” Us.The number of stores is set to reach 160 in the coming weeks – a fraction of the 750 ou...