Toys R Us to open on Essex high street five years after financial …
Popular toy retailer Toys R Us will soon return to Essex five years after they collapsed into administration and closed all their stores. The famous toy shop will be opening concessions inside WH Smiths stores across the UK, including in Chelmsford.
It means Toys R Us is returning to Essex after a brief respite away due to financial issues. According to The Mirror[1], the Chelmsford will open shortly after the first new store opens at WH Smiths Monks Cross Retail Park in York on June 10.
Each concession will feature a life-sized Geoffrey the Giraffe sculpture and will sell toy brands including Barbie, Fisher Price, Lego, Marvel and Peppa Pig. There will be openings in York, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Cwmbran, Oxford, Poole, Reading and Solihull throughout the summer.
An exact opening date for the Chelmsford is site is unknown but it will be located at the WH Smiths store on the High Street. Essex previously had Toys R Us stores at Lakeside in Grays, Harlow, Ilford, Enfield and Basildon.
Toys R Us collapsed into administration in 2018, with all its 100 UK shops closed as a result. The toy retailer sparked excitement in September last year when it relaunched its website just weeks before Christmas, selling around 14,000 toys from over 100 suppliers.
WHSmith High Street managing director Sean Toal said: “At WHSmith, we’re always exploring new opportunities to launch exciting, new product ranges to our customers on the high street, and our partnership with Toys R Us certainly does this! The brand has long been known for its exceptional range of toys and games and complements our existing offer well.
“Across each of the nine locations, we have a great team of colleagues who look forward to welcoming many new and existing customers over the coming weeks and showcasing the new store layout.”
Simon Cartey, UK commercial director at Toys R Us, added: “Our new Toys R Us shop-in-shops at WHSmith create the perfect home for Toys R Us as it returns to the UK high street shopping scene.
“With this collaboration, we are not only bringing back the beloved Toys R Us experience but also providing convenient access to a wide range of toys and games. Together, we hope to create a magical and joyful shopping destination for families across the country.”
Toys R Us launched in the UK in 1985, when it emerged as the “world’s first toy supermarket”. Last year, owner WHP Global signed an agreement with Toys R Us Australia to lead the brand’s revival in the UK.
References
- ^ he Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ All 5 of Essex’s lost Toys R Us stores and what they are now (www.essexlive.news)