Will Geoffrey’s Road Trip Drive New Kids To Toys"R"Us?

The relaunched Toys"R"Us will try to engage a new generation of Toys"R"Us kids this summer by taking Geoffrey the Giraffe on the road. The roadshow, which the retailer has dubbed “Geoffrey’s Tour Across America,” will consist of a series of weekend-long events at Macy’s flagship stores around the U.S., according to a press release. Brand activations, interactive experiences and VIP experiences and toy giveaways from popular brands will all be a part of the events. “[W]e are sending Geoffrey across the country to kick up the excitement for families to have what we call a 'playcation' where you put your responsibilities aside and embrace fun,” said Kim Miller, global chief marketing officer at Toys"R"Us, in the press release. “And what we have in store for you is like nothing you've seen before.” This tour comes after the retailer’s recent opening of Toys"R"Us shops inside all Macy’s locations in the U.S. Toys"R"Us has been experimenting with ways to reestablish itself as a toy destination since its 2017 bankruptcy declaration and the subsequent closure of its iconic big box stores in the U.S. Shortly after the original Toys"R"Us’ collapse, licensing company Tru Kids acquired the Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us brands and made a couple of attempts at revitalizing the just-shuttered retailer. Tru Kids opened two Toys “R” Us pop-ups in malls in 2019, leveraging the b8ta retail tech platform, as CNBC reported. The novel coronavirus pandemic suppressing mall traffic put those locations out of business in January 2021. This era also saw a short-lived online partnership with Target and pop-up holiday-up shops. In the spring of 2021, branding firm WHP Partners acquired a controlling interest in Tru Kids. Under WHP’s ownership, the retailer launched its store-within-a-store strategy in Macy’s locations. WHP has also opened one standalone Toys"R"Us, in the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, and now has plans to open a Babies“R”Us store in the same mall, according to WMB Radio.

• Toys"R"Us Announces Geoffrey's Tour Across America — Toys"R"Us/PR Newswire

• Inside the wild and tumultuous history of Toys R Us — Business Insider

• Macy’s Expands WHP Global Partnership to Bring Toys“R”Us to Every Macy’s Store in America in Time for Holiday Season — Business Wire

• Toys R Us has a new owner that’s planning to open stores again in the U.S. — CNBC

• Babies “R” Us to return with store at American Dream mall — WMB Radio