Toys R Us was never really a lost idea, even if it felt like a lost cause. The name was still around, and not only because people still remembered it, but because it left a huge void in the toy industry as people had to go wherever they could for toys after the company went bankrupt. A lot of us can remember the absolute joy of walking into a Toys R Us, the thrill of seeing all the toys stacked on the shelves side by side, the huge array of choices and colorful things to look at, and the hope that we’d be able to take something home with us since it wasn’t every day that a lot of kids were taken to one of these stores to pick out a toy, a game, or something that might enrich their lives just a little. For some of us it was a chance to walk into the store with our heads held high because we’d earned enough to purchase something we’d had our eye on for a while and wanted to purchase with our own money as a point of pride, but the joy and happiness were there because this was a privilege, something that we’d earned, and something that we felt good about because it wasn’t an everyday occurrence. That was the utter joy of Toys R Us for a lot of kids growing up, since if given the choice, a lot of kids would probably walk out with at least a shopping cart overflowing with toys, but for those that were taught to treat it as something that was earned or given every once in a blue moon, it was something we treasured.
To hear that the stores might be coming back leaves mixed feelings in some people, while others might be rejoicing since it’s a return to childhood, with new ownership though. WHP Global has taken ownership of Tru Kids, the parent company of Toys R Us, and is hoping to open up several stores by the end of the year. For those that don’t know enough about anything past the storefront and what’s on the shelves, it’s bound to be a day of celebration since having this toy store back is going to feel like the sun shining down on them once again, but one has to remember that at least a couple of things have happened in the past few years since Toys R Us went under. It’s kind of likely that WHP Global might change a few things around, but a lot of people might not know or care about these things simply because they’re too excited to see their favorite toy store return. Stating with any confidence that big changes will be happening at this point isn’t a sure thing since it could be that WHP Global is simply open to the idea of re-opening the stores in order to fill the void that people have felt these last three years. But if it’s that simple then it will be an occurrence that happens once in a lifetime since there’s almost always something attached, some stipulation or set of rules, regulations, or something that will come along to change things up just a bit. It could be something that will bolster the business in the years to come, it could be something that has more strings attached to it than a marionette, but one thing is obvious, thinking that there is something more to this resurgence is a wise idea.
Staying suspicious of WHP’s motives isn’t entirely necessary, but it’s something to think about at the very least. In the meantime, a lot of people are bound to be happy to hear that such a thing will be happening as it means the return of something that was a part of their childhood and therefore something they might want to hold onto. This won’t be bound to happen quickly since despite the desire to see the name return, the toy market is going to be one that Toys R Us will probably have to ease back into just to ensure that things won’t go south again in a short amount of time and to make certain that WHP understands what the response will be to the return of one of the most well-known names in the industry. For a long time, Toys R Us was the gold standard of toy stores, no matter how much some folks might want to say otherwise. While other stores around the world can boast the title of ‘greatest toy store in the world‘, Toys R Us is one of the most universal names throughout the industry, and remained so for quite some time since it spans generations and has been one of those that people around the world have celebrated. Having it back might be a great thing, but hopefully WHP knows what they’re doing.
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