A BELOVED ’90s shop is making its return to a number of high streets from today – with nine new locations set to open.
The retailer has been on the comeback trail, but it’s in a very different form to the stores fans will remember.
Toys R Us is back in the UK after collapsing into administration back in 2018.
The iconic chain was relaunched by parent brand WHSmith last year, with stores opening in York, Oxford and Cwmbran among other locations.
This year, Smiths is opening a further 30 branches by the end of August.
In just the last couple of months, shoppers in places like Leamington Spa, Colchester, Derby and Nottingham have all seen the popular toy shops return.
There are just nine openings left on the list, including one that has popped up today.
The Worthing South Street Toys R Us is enjoying its first full day of trading after its comeback, having opened on July 13.
Other upcoming stores including Hastings on July 20, Newton Abbot on August 3 and a double of Halifax and Lancaster on August 10.
The reopenings will then finish up in Taunton on August 31, with further new stores yet to be announced for next year.
However, Toys R Us won’t quite be the same as many fans might remember it.
Gone are the vast warehouses packed to the rafters with toys of every variety imaginable.
Instead, the franchise will reopen in a more sustainable form – as a section within existing WHSmith branches.
These will incorporate a demonstration area for shoppers to try out products before buying them.
Toys can then be taken to the main store till as normal to be paid for.
Sean Toal, high street managing director at WHSmith, said: “After five years, we were very proud to help bring the beloved toy brand back to the UK’s high streets with the launch of nine shop-in-shops inside WHSmith.
“Every time I’ve been out visiting these stores since, I have seen first-hand how positively our customers have responded to the new ranges.
“Many tell me it feels like a back to the future moment – a brand they had known and loved since the mid-80s which is back to deliver the magic to a whole new generation of families.”
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