By: Emily Sobel
Geoffrey the Giraffe has great news just in time for the holiday season: Toys R Us is making a comeback!
It’s been around two years since the toy powerhouse closed hundreds of its stores, crushing the childhood memories of many. Ever since, parent company Tru Kids has been working on a revamped version of Toys R Us with new looks, motives, and attractions. CEO of Tru Kids Robert Barry expressed his excitement about the comeback of everyone’s favorite childhood store, telling WABC, “I’m a 30 plus Toys ‘R’ Us kid and being given the opportunity to re-imagine the experience. This is a very different store from the traditional Toys ‘R’ Us store, being able to reimagine the business was kind of a dream come true.”
If there’s one thing that’s keeping brick and mortar retailers alive, it’s the ability to provide a hands on experience to its customers. The lack thereof for Toys R Us was a major contributor to its closing. Many of its competitors, such as Target and Walmart, were selling the same products with better personalization and customer service, which caused many customers to feel that the Toys R Us experience was outdated. Millennial shoppers aren’t just going to leave their homes to shop when they can do the same from the comfort of their own couches. Therefore, the comeback of Toys R Us will be laser focused on customer experience, with interactive features such as a theater, a tree house, and open toys for excited children to play with. Adding on to the store’s new experience initiative, in-store technology will allow customers to buy from a stock of around 15,000 toys during their visit, while the store itself carries only about 1,500 items.
Toys R Us also announced that it would be partnering with Target to provide a larger platform for online shopping. When browsing the Toys R Us website, customers can be redirected to Target to purchase an item. Furthermore, people will be able to receive or pick up online orders as quickly as one hour, which is faster than the store has seen ever before.
For many children, and even more of their parents, the reopening of the iconic chain feels like a holiday dream come true.
Photo courtesy of yahoo.com
