Tru Kids Brands and b8ta are partnering to bring Toys ‘R’ Us back to the U.S. in time for the holiday season. The retailers will open curated small-format stores at The Galleria in Houston and Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J., with additional locations planned for 2020.
The revived brand will draw upon b8ta’s experiential expertise to drive immersion and highlight new events and activities every day. Toys will be displayed out of the box so children can try them before purchase, and the stores will feature open play spaces.
Brands will have the opportunity to design custom experiences and branded shops where they can show off their toys to create memorable experiences for both children and parents. The environment will leverage the b8ta Retail as a Service (RaaS) platform, which helps brands manage their in-store experiences and measure how offline experiences translate into online sales.
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“As a kid, my memory of Toys ’R’ Us was running up and down the aisles kicking balls and playing with the coolest toys,” said Phillip Raub, Co-Founder and President of b8ta and Interim Co-CEO of the Toys ’R’ Us joint venture. “As the retail landscape changes, so do consumer shopping habits. But what hasn’t changed is that kids want to touch everything and simply play. In partnership with Richard [Barry, CEO of Tru Kids Brands and Interim Co-CEO of the Toys ‘R’ Us joint venture] and his team, we are excited to bring back Toys ’R’ Us in an immersive way, focused on creating a fun and engaging experience for kids — and adults, too.”
