Put down the screens, grab the holiday wish lists and prepare to wander through aisles filled with toys once again. This holiday season is shaping up to be a particularly good one for some good old-fashioned play.
And Toys“R”Us wants to be part of it.
The iconic toy retailer is making a major push back into physical retail across the United States, announcing plans to open 120 new standalone Toys“R”Us stores in partnership with Go! Retail Group for the 2026 holiday season. Combined with 40 existing standalone locations, the expansion will give Toys“R”Us 160 standalone stores nationwide during one of the most important times of the year for toys.
That is before counting the Toys“R”Us shops already found inside Macy’s stores, making Geoffrey considerably easier to find than he has been in recent years.
For anyone who remembers when a trip to the toy store was an event in itself, there is something wonderfully appropriate about the timing. We spend an incredible amount of our lives looking at screens, yet toys, collectibles, tabletop games and other forms of physical play continue to give kids—and plenty of adults—an excuse to unplug and interact with something they can actually hold.
The holidays have always been especially good at reminding us of that.
Inside the new Toys“R”Us stores, shoppers will find a curated assortment of toys, collectibles and gifts from some of the biggest brands and entertainment properties of the moment. LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Pokémon are among the familiar names filling shelves, while newer favorites such as “KPop Demon Hunters” will also be part of the holiday assortment.
Yet Toys“R”Us isn’t simply trying to recreate the toy stores families remember exactly as they were. Select locations will introduce Creator Studios, giving influencers, creators and toy companies dedicated spaces to produce content, reveal products and host launches and special events. Some stores will also feature candy shops and cafés, expanding the traditional toy run into something designed to keep families exploring a little longer.
It is an interesting blend of where play has been and where it is going. Kids can discover something through a video online, walk into a physical store to see it for themselves and then take home a toy that moves the fun away from the screen entirely. For a retailer built around discovery, that bridge between digital entertainment and hands-on play feels like a natural evolution.
Toys“R”Us is also continuing to find some unexpected places for Geoffrey to pop up. Along with its standalone locations and Macy’s shops, the brand has been expanding through Navy Exchange shop-in-shops and travel retail. A Toys“R”Us airport shop-in-shop opened at Orlando International Airport in August, with a second location planned for summer 2027.
Still, there is something different about the return of the standalone toy store, particularly during the holidays. Browsing online might be convenient, but it is difficult to recreate the experience of walking aisle after aisle, finding something you didn’t know existed and suddenly deciding it absolutely needs to appear on a wish list.
For generations, that sense of discovery was part of what made Toys“R”Us special. With 120 new stores opening for the holiday season, considerably more families will once again have the chance to experience it.
So, yes, screens will undoubtedly still be glowing this holiday season. Games will be downloaded, videos will be watched and plenty of wish lists will probably be made online.
But there will also be LEGO bricks scattered across floors, dolls going on new adventures, Hot Wheels racing through living rooms, Pokémon waiting to be collected and kids ripping open boxes to discover something they can actually play with.
It looks like this holiday season is going a little analog.
And Geoffrey is ready to play.