There is room for a Toys “R” Us, so long as it is a reimagined version of what previously existed. The move to a strong mall is sensible as that helps deliver footfall. Creating more of an experience in-store is also vital to draw people in and get them buying – that probably needs to go a bit beyond big slides and ice cream cafes, but those things are a good start. Of course, none of this is a guarantee of success – margins remain thin for toys because of competition and that competition will also likely prevent Toys “R” Us from going back to the size and scale it used to have.

Mr. Shmidman is a veteran of the licensing business so business model diversification and intellectual property monetization were baked in from the beginning. Toys “R” Us is the jewel in WHP’s crown in that regard. Even so, Toys “R” Us’ U.S. business would not be enough to turn the brand around. Maintaining at least some of its global presence was a prescient move.

It is very likely that the American Dream store will be successful. Experiences are driving customers into the malls and physical stores.

As long as Toys “R” Us truly keeps to their new mission of engaging with shoppers on a deeper level and delighting them with experiences and products, there should be nothing stopping the toy giant from making a comeback.

I have a counter-question. Is a new company with different owners and different staff, that has not operated for more than two years, but with an old and familiar name, the same come company as the original? What is it, really?

The whole category of toys lends itself so beautifully to experiential shopping. I’d be shocked if Toys “R” Us doesn’t make a successful comeback, especially in its own stores. Macy’s also provides a big opportunity for success, but it will all depend on the level of execution. A corner of the store with some toys stacked on shelves won’t cut it. This is a big opportunity for Macy’s to create some incremental foot traffic over the course of the year and especially for holiday shopping. I’d love to see Macy’s knock the cover off the ball here.

Selling experiences is nice, but will experiences replace what Amazon, Walmart, Target, et. al, offer with toys? Maybe Toys “R” Us should charge admission?

It is one thing making a flagship store in a strong destination retail environment work and quite another to successfully relaunch a brand. Sure the American Dream store may succeed, but the toy market has moved on, at least in the U.S. Partnering with one flailing brand isn’t a good strategy if you too are a brand flailing around looking for an identity. I expect WHP will try to push the brand, maybe even open some stores, but my advice would be to be very selective and minimalistic in terms of physical store locations and focus on developing a great online platform rooted in “toys” but gathering together adjacent categories, maybe on an age bracket basis. Oh, and whatever I called that platform, it probably wouldn’t be Toys “R” Us.