Toys “R” Us kids may now be adults, but the retailer is hoping it can persuade a new generation to never “wanna grow up.”
After collapsing into bankruptcy a decade ago and closing thousands of stores, Toys “R” Us has returned to Greater Boston with a store inside South Shore Plaza in Braintree. It’s part of a plan to open 120 stores nationwide this holiday season to revive the once-ubiquitous retailer.
But instead of the big-box toy-store empire many parents remember, the new stores are often smaller and only temporary, according to information obtained by the Globe that has not been previously reported. The one in Braintree is about 5,000 square feet.
Some analysts are optimistic that the temporary Toys “R” Us can tap into millennial nostalgia, which has revived ’90s and early 2000s trends in everything from music to clothing.
“I grew up going to Toys ‘R’ Us. It was a treat, and I had a blast every time. Now I’m the mom of an 8-year-old and a 3-year-old, and that’s exactly who this comeback is aimed at,” said Sharmin Attaran, a Bryant University marketing professor. “Parents like me want to hand that feeling to our kids.”
The comeback is being orchestrated by WHP Global, a private equity-backed brand management company that acquired the controlling stake in Toys “R” Us in 2021. It is partnering with Go! Retail Group, a company known for seasonal retail, in the new stores.
Alex Winkelman, an executive vice president of Go! Retail Group, said the new stores will resonate.
“We are seeing great results,” said Winkelman, adding that most leases are for up to 12 months. “The customer absolutely loves Toys ‘R’ Us.”
WHP — which oversees other labels including Vera Wang, Express, and Marc Jacobs — is betting that its brand and a new approach to physical retail can win back shoppers.
The toy store chain is returning to a retail landscape that has changed dramatically since its sprawling stores were a rite of passage for generations of American children. The retailers it once competed with — including Walmart and Target — have become even more entrenched, while Amazon has made buying toys without leaving your house easier than ever.
Not everyone thinks the new strategy will work.
“I don’t often say this but I believe this venture by [Toys “R” Us] and WHP is going to be a colossal failure,” said Doug Stephens, retail advisor and CEO of consulting firm Retail Prophet.
Stephens said the retailer has historically been little more than a box store of toys that can now easily be purchased online. And he also isn’t convinced its new experiential features — including “Creator Studios,” where influencers and toy brands can host events and unveil products — solve that problem.
“It’s not about giving space to influencers or brands,” said Stephens. “It’s about giving children the joy of physically and emotionally engaged play.”
At its peak, Toys “R” Us had more than 1,500 locations. In the end, it faced stiff competition from larger rivals while being crushed by billions in debt, and filed for bankruptcy in 2017. The following year, the company started shutting down its stores, including 25 in Massachusetts. Across the country, roughly 33,000 employees were left jobless.
After this year’s expansion, the brand will have about 160 standalone stores and shops inside Macy’s locations. In 2027, the brand also plans to open stores in select airports.
“Toys ‘R’ Us failed in part because the rules of physical retail had changed,” said David Mayer, a senior partner at branding firm Lippincott who worked on Toys “R” Us’s 2018 rebrand. “The convenience of a warehouse filled with toys was just no longer enough.”
But timing may now be on Toys “R” Us’s side.
The US toy business is having a strong year. Toy sales rose 17 percent in the first half of 2026, according to market research group Circana, with teens and adults accounting for nearly 60 percent of the industry’s incremental dollar gains. Many of those toys driving sales are available almost everywhere, from Amazon to independent specialty shops. The question isn’t whether Americans want toys, but whether they need Toys “R” Us to get them.
Well-known brands and characters — from NERF to Barbie to Harry Potter — often win in the toy aisle, said Gregg Schwartz, founder of Overstock Trader, a Massachusetts-based buyer of surplus and closeout inventory.
“Kids ask for specific brands by name, and Toys ‘R’ Us tends to focus on name-brand toys and licensed products tied to popular movies, shows, and characters,” said Schwartz.
Meanwhile, independent shop owners who filled the void after the chain’s disappearance now worry how Toys “R” Us’s attempts to rise from the ashes might affect them.
“It’s a little worrisome,” said Nermeen Tahoun, the co-owner of Boing! Toy Shop in Jamaica Plain. “We already have competition with CVS, Target, and Amazon.”
Tahoun said independent shops like hers have little chance of matching the prices of major chains, which can buy thousands of units at a time while small stores might buy six to 12 of any particular toy.
“They can sell something for what we buy at wholesale cost,” she said. “There is no game there.”
Rather than trying to compete on price, Tahoun is betting on turning Boing! into a destination for families. She’s raising $50,000 to expand the store’s programming and create an affordable, year-round play space with activities, classes, birthday parties, and evening events for adults. It’s slated to open next spring.
In Kingston, Maziply Toys co-owner Scott Mazerall said he’s long leaned on experiences and expertise, including an in-store mirror maze where kids can run through an obstacle course of dead ends and colored lights that shift with music.
He’s also a Certified Play Expert, a designation from the American Specialty Retailing Association that trains retailers to help parents choose toys that support children’s development.
“I’m doubtful you’re going to see that kind of ability in a Toys ‘R’ Us,” he said.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.