Feeling nostalgic for the old days when people shopped in person for holiday gifts? You may feel some fulfillment when Toys R Us stores return to South Hill Mall in Puyallup, the Outlet Collection Seattle in Auburn and Vancouver Mall.
The stores are expected to open in October as part of a partnership with Go! Retail Group, a Texas-based company that operates retail stores, mall kiosks and pop-up shops.
Toys R Us previously operated 16 Toys R Us and Babies R Us locations, including stores in Bellevue, Tukwila, Tacoma and Olympia, until 2018. By that time, the company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after struggling with debt and competition from the online marketplace.
WHP Global acquired the Toys R Us brand in 2021 and has made a push toward returning to physical stores. Nationwide, 120 standalone Toys R Us stores are set to be open “by the holiday season,” according to a Toys R Us news release.
“There’s something special about walking into a Toys ‘R’ Us store, especially during the holidays. … 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,” Gideon Schlessinger, Go! Retail Group CEO, said in the news release.
The old chain was known for its sprawling aisles spilling with toys. But these new locations may look a little different — and smaller.
Gerald Storch, who was Toys R Us CEO from 2006 until 2013, told Fortune he expects the new stores to be smaller and require less investment than the stores he ran.
For example, Toys R Us used to operate a 31,000-square-foot location at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup. The new location will span only 5,000 square feet, a spokesperson for the South Hill Mall owner told the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Additionally, some stores will have dedicated spaces where influencers, creators and toy brands can create content, unveil new products and host special events, such as toy reveals, according to the news release. Select stores will also feature candy shops and cafés.
It’s not yet clear how long those locations will last. Toys R Us has dabbled in pop-up shops and seasonal locations — including one at the Westfield Southcenter mall in Tukwila last year — in the years since it closed its big-box stores. Company executives told Fortune the stores will be evaluated for performance during the holiday season and many are expected to remain open well into 2027.
The Puget Sound Business Journal reported that Toys R Us had signed a one-year lease for the Puyallup space, with an option to extend it.
Toys R Us did not immediately respond to inquiries about the lifespan of the other locations.
