Retail Santa is back!
After five years away from these shores, nostalgic toy megastore Toys R Us is set to make a return to the UK – and it also returned to the UK’s online high street.
Thousands of toys are already up for grabs via the website.
The new online store has launched only weeks away from Christmas, and is currently selling 14,000 toys from over 100 different suppliers.
The chain went bust in 2018 after struggling to get people through the doors in an age of online retail. This lead to more than 100 Toys R Us outlets closing across the UK that year.
However in a surprise move, the parent firm of the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands – WHP Global – has announced it has signed a long-term exclusive license agreement to also relaunch physical stores in the UK.
For now, online customers can get free delivery on all order over £20 and next-day delivery on order placed before 6pm.
The website says: “We’re back! We can’t wait to develop and grow with you and your loved ones, over the coming weeks, months and years!”
Toys by Lego, Marvel and Star Wars are up for grabs as well as every day arts and crafts supplies from Crayola and Play-Doh.
The toy retailer will open its brand new physical shops in 2023.
Shoppers will be able to browse and play with toys before ordering them digitally in store – in a similar concept to the way Argos works.
Louis Mittoni, Toys R Us boss previously told The Sun: “This space allows our shoppers to get hands-on with toy products, being able to play and interact with the products before purchasing them from an equally large warehouse at the back of these stores.”
He added: “There will be nothing like these stores anywhere in the world”.
The new stores could stock up to 40,000 products, which can be delivered to store customers in seconds.
There are plans for larger stores as well as smaller branches, but a list of areas hasn’t been announced yet.
Stores had stayed open in Canada and Australia and have been doing well. This has encouraged bosses that there is still hope for physical stores here in the UK.
Chairman and CEO of WHP Global and Toys R Us, Yehuda Shmidman, said in a statement last year: “We selected Toys R Us ANZ as our partner to expand into the United Kingdom because of their proven success in launching with us in Australia under the leadership of their CEO, Dr Louis Mittoni.
“Toys R Us today is a vibrant business with over 900 stores and e-commerce sites across 25 plus countries generating over $2billion a year in sales and growing, especially with the new launches underway for both the US and UK markets.”
Head of Toys R Us ANZ, Louis Mittoni, added: “Since Toys R Us’ return to Australia in June 2019, we have scaled quickly as customers returned to the much-loved brand and our e-commerce model has proven its success.
“My team and I are looking forward to developing technical and commercial relationships with UK-based vendors and partners and to engage with the many loyal Toys R Us former customers and fans in the UK.”
Toys R Us just saved Christmas!
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