Nearly a year and a half since Toys R Us closed its last store, they’ve miraculously made a comeback and opened their doors again, first in New Jersey! Located at Garden State Plaza (Paramus, NJ), one of the country’s largest & most profitable malls, this new Toys R Us is all about the experiences you’ll have as a Toys R Us Kid! Scroll through to see what to expect inside & be sure to see additional pictures in our gallery and the video at the end of this article.
With doors opening at 10am on November 30, adults & children alike were waiting in excitement for the Grand Opening of the Toys R Us GSP location which actually had a soft open just three days prior. However, the ceremony promised giveaways, character appearances, and other unique experiences… and it did not disappoint! Geoffrey the Giraffe made his debut as he passed by the line, offering hugs, high-fives, and selfies.
Those waiting on the line also received Toys R Us buttons, a Geoffrey sticker, and a swag bag filled with freebies from Lego, Melissa & Doug, and more, as well as a Geoffrey plush, too!
What makes the new Toys R Us store model different this time around is that it’s focusing all on the Toys R Us Kid experience now! While they’ll still carry all of the latest & major toy releases, you’ll notice inside that the store is sectioned off into various themed departments which include but aren’t limited to: Lego, Nintendo, LOL Surprise, Paw Patrol, Nerf, and Star Wars.
Many of these sections are interactive and for the Grand Opening, there were character appearances, too!
I don’t know if the kids were happier or the parents, who were watching their kids experience Toys R Us like never before!
This Toys R Us location features an all new Play-a-Round Theater (which can be used for mini parties), Nerf target practice, a candy station, a mini version of the Magic Mirror (which premiered at the previous flagship store in Times Square, NYC), and Geoffrey’s Tree House which has the lyrics of the Toys R Us Kid song all along the staircase!
And it was so refreshing to once more hear kids say, “Can we go inside to look at toys?”. It’s clear that the new Toys R Us is indeed for kids and not so much the adult collector. But this is great news for parents (and kids too) because it’s a family-friendly zone and highly interactive. All around the store you’ll see kids pick up books to read, build with Legos, demo a Nintendo Switch, or even play with Kinetic Sand. It’s absolutely a fun environment!
Speaking with a Toys R Us executive at the opening, there will be a new Rewards program put in place in the near future, as well as new gift cards (since with the company revamp, all previous forms of rewards & gift cards are unfortunately not usable). And with the next store opening at the Houston Galleria on December 7 and possibly more along the way very soon, I think this fresh start for Toys R Us is exactly what we all needed!
And though these new experiential physical stores will not have “everything”, you can always use their kiosks or website to find even more. Powered by Target, you can browse or search for all your favorite brands:
So it looks like we all can continue to be Toys R Us Kids (though I never stopped)!
The return of Toys R Us was a great way to ring in the start of the holiday season, and I was even able to pick up a Vintage Collection Star Wars “Rey” figure too! I just needed to hold that crisp new Toys R Us receipt in my hands…
For even more from the Grand Opening, check out the full photo gallery as well as the video below. And for information on Toys R Us, please visit their website.
LesDudis 