Target is helping to revive the Toys ‘R’ Us brand online
Target is bringing Toys “R” Us back online in time for the holiday shopping season.
The US retail chain has announced a partnership with Toys “R” Us parent company, Tru Kids Brands, to relaunch the iconic toy brand online in the United States.
Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy in the United States in 2017 and closed all its US and UK stores the following year.
Under the agreement, shoppers on the Toys “R” Us website, which relaunched on Tuesday, can complete their purchases on Target.com. Toys can be be delivered or picked up in Target stores.
“By applying our capabilities in a new way with Toys “R” Us, we can serve even more toy shoppers, drive new growth, and build on our toy leadership,” Target executive Nikhil Nayar said in a statement.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Tru Kids, which won the rights to the Toys “R” Us brand in bankruptcy court in October 2018, is determined to revive the retail brand in the United States.
It teamed up with US grocery chain Kroger to set up “Geoffrey’s Toy Box” sections in 600 stores during the holidays, a reference to the Toys “R” Us giraffe mascot.
“Our US strategy is to bring back the Toys “R” Us brand in a modern way,” Richard Barry, the CEO of Tru Kids, said in a statement.
Tru Kids plans to open two new Toys “R” Us stores this year in Texas and New Jersey before increasing the number of locations to 10 by the end of 2020, according to a spokesperson.
The company says the stores will showcase new products, allow customers to test items before purchase and “create memorable experiences for kids and families.”
Target, meanwhile, faces stiff competition from the likes of Amazon and Walmart, which have pushed aggressively into toys to fill the void left by Toys “R” Us.
Walmart was selling more toys in the US than Toys “R” Us even before its bankruptcy filing. So was Target.
Earlier this month, Target announced that it would be selling Disney merchandise, previously only available at Disney’s own retail locations, online and in 25 locations across the United States.
– Robert McLean and Chris Isidore contributed to this report.
