The giraffe is back, just in time for the holidays. Toys 'R' Us, once the undisputed king of toy retail, is staging a major comeback with a wave of new stores and pop-up holiday shops debuting across the U.S. this season.
The rollout, part of an ongoing partnership with Go! Retail Group, includes flagship locations and smaller seasonal shops in states like Illinois, Colorado, Texas, New York and California. Each spot is designed to recreate that signature Toys 'R' Us magic, with aisles of bright boxes, hands-on displays and a sense of wonder that hits both kids and nostalgic parents right in the feels.
Inside, shoppers can expect all the big names like LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, NERF and Paw Patrol plus a curated lineup of this year’s hottest toys. Each store is built for family browsing with easy layouts, colorful displays and plenty of chances to test, touch and imagine.
For Toys 'R' Us, this holiday push represents a new chapter in a long, bumpy story. The brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017, closing over 700 U.S. stores by the following year. Its 2000s decline was the result of a mix of crushing private-equity debt, lost market share to Target and Walmart and the rise of Amazon.
But if there’s one thing Toys 'R' Us knows how to do, it’s capture imagination. The company has been quietly rebuilding, testing smaller concepts and partnerships in recent years. A flagship inside Minnesota’s Mall of America opened in 2023 and remains a model for this latest expansion.
In its 1980s and '90s heyday, Toys 'R' Us was a cultural touchstone, the place kids begged to visit and parents couldn’t resist. The tune “I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys 'R' Us kid” became retail’s unofficial anthem for fun.
Now, with a new generation of parents craving some offline magic, the timing feels right. Toys 'R' Us wants to remind everyone what it’s like to wander (not scroll) through a store full of dreams.
What's more, additional stores are expected to open through 2025!
New Toys 'R' Us flagship stores
Chicago Premium Outlets – Aurora, Illinois
Camarillo Premium Outlets – Camarillo, California
Arundel Mills – Hanover, Maryland
Jordan Creek – Moines, Iowa
Westroads Mall – Omaha, Nebraska
Denver Premium Outlets – Thornton, Colorado
Tanger Outlets Deer Park – Deer Park, New York
Towne East Square – Wichita, Kansas
Seasonal Toys 'R' Us locations
Great Lakes Crossing – Auburn Hills, Milwaukee
Grapevine Mills – Grapevine, Texas
Lakeside Shopping Center – Metairie, Louisiana
Tanger Outlets – Nashville, Tennessee
Crabtree Valley Mall – Raleigh, North Carolina
The Mall in Columbia – Columbia, Maryland
South Plains Mall – Lubbock, Texas
Westfield Southcenter – Tukwila, Washington
Station Park – Farmington, Utah
Deptford Mall – Deptford, New Jersey
Eastland Mall – Evansville, Indiana
Mall of New Hampshire – Manchester, New Hampshire
Bay Street – Emeryville, California
Twelve Oaks Mall – Novi, Michigan
Park Meadows – Lone Tree, Colorado
North Star Mall – San Antonio, Texas
Tanger Outlets – Sevierville, Tennessee
King of Prussia Mall – King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Crocker Park – Westlake, Ohio
Walden Galleria – Buffalo, New York