The Toys R Us revival heads for Fosse Park
CONCESSION TO OPEN IN WH SMITH THIS MONTH
A TOYS R Us concession is to open in the Fosse Park, Leicester, branch of WH Smith this month as the revival of the children’s chain gathers pace.
WH Smith, which has already opened nine Toys R Us shop-in-shops as part of its retail partnership with the brand, is to open another 30 by the end of August.
The next wave of 17, including the Fosse Park store, will be launched nationwide within the next two months as the group looks to bring back a brand “known and loved since the mid80s”.
Three of the concessions, including Fosse Park’s, will open on Saturday, May 25. The other two are in Hereford, Herefordshire and Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire.
A concession will open at the WH Smiths in the Victoria shopping centre, Nottingham, later this summer.
The firm’s move to open the first concessions last year marked a return for the children’s chain following its collapse more than six years ago.
Toys R Us went bust in February 2018, shutting all its 100 shops, resulting in the loss of more than 2,000 jobs. It announced plans for a relaunch in October 2022 before striking an exclusive deal with WH Smith for concessions in the UK.
Sean Toal, high street managing director at WH Smith, said: “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.
“We’ve unveiled the first 17 locations for the new Toys R Us stores in WH Smith.
“Not only is this an exceptionally exciting time for our colleagues and customers, but we’re also proud to be bucking the trend by continuing to invest in the UK high street.”