Toys R Us Is Back in a Big Way With 160 Stores Coming This Holiday Season

The Comeback Nobody Saw Coming — But Everyone Wanted

Nearly a decade after the iconic toy retailer filed for bankruptcy and shuttered its stores across the United States, Toys "R" Us is opening 120 new standalone locations across the country in time for the 2026 holiday shopping season. The move quadruples its standalone footprint to 160 locations, marking the brand's largest comeback since closing its U.S. stores in 2018.

The retailer announced on September 17 that it will open the new standalone stores across the U.S. this holiday season through a partnership with Go! Retail Group, bringing its total number of standalone U.S. stores to 160. Go! Retail Group is an Austin, Texas-based company known for seasonal pop-up shops. Many of the new stores are expected to operate year-round, not just for the holiday shopping rush, reflecting strong consumer demand for physical toy stores and immersive shopping experiences.

Not Your Childhood Toy Store

The new stores will carry some of the season's most popular toys, collectibles, and gifts from major brands, including Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Pokémon. But the experience goes well beyond stacked shelves. Some locations will feature content studios, candy shops, and cafes alongside toys, collectibles, and gifts. Select locations will also feature "Creator Studios" — spaces where influencers, content creators, and toy brands can create content for social media or other platforms.

Adults are increasingly part of the equation. Earlier 2026 data from Circana found that consumers ages 18 and older accounted for 35 percent of total U.S. toy industry growth through April. The once-bankrupt chain is attempting a holiday-season comeback as nostalgic adults and teens drive a boom in old-fashioned physical playthings. That cultural shift is a big reason why these stores are being designed around experiences, not just product volume.

A Retail Market Ready for the Moment

U.S. toy sales rose 17% during the first half of 2026, the industry's strongest first-half performance in six years, according to market research firm Circana. That kind of momentum makes the timing of this expansion look less like a gamble and more like a calculated bet on a market that's clearly hungry for what Toys "R" Us is selling — both the products and the nostalgia.

The comeback had already expanded considerably in 2022, when Toys "R" Us shops began opening inside Macy's stores across the country, giving the brand a presence inside hundreds of Macy's locations nationwide. The new stores expand the brand's existing U.S. retail footprint, which includes 40 standalone stores and Toys "R" Us shops inside Macy's stores nationwide, giving customers more ways and more places than ever to shop and experience the brand.

What Shoppers Should Know

"This is a major moment for Toys 'R' Us as we significantly expand our presence across the United States," said Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys "R" Us at WHP Global. He added that with 160 stores open this season, the company has "an incredible opportunity to bring that experience to millions of customers" and "create destinations they'll want to come back to throughout the year."

Toys "R" Us has not released a full list of the 120 new store locations, so shoppers can check the company's store locator to see whether a location has opened near them. After years of trying different formats, partnerships, and comeback strategies, the 2026 rollout gives Toys "R" Us its biggest opportunity yet to find out whether nostalgia, adult collectors, and a new generation of shoppers can support a lasting American store network. If the toy sales numbers are any indication, Geoffrey the Giraffe may be here to stay.