The Geoffrey comeback tour just got a lot more square footage.

Toys “R” Us said Thursday it is opening 120 new standalone stores this holiday season — bringing the chain to 160 freestanding U.S. locations by Christmas, on top of shop-in-shops already inside Macy’s, NBC News reported Friday.

The bet is not only on kids. Circana data cited by NBC shows toy sales in adult-only households outpacing homes with children through June, up 16% and about 55% of industry receipts. Teens and adults together drove nearly 60% of the sector’s incremental dollar growth in the first half — Pokémon, LEGO, Hot Wheels, sports leagues, Marvel, Star Wars, and collector lines riding the “analog” hobby wave.

From bankruptcy to holiday land grab

At its peak, Toys “R” Us ran more than 1,000 U.S. stores before the 2017 bankruptcy that wiped most of the brand off American strip malls. WHP Global now steers the trademark alongside Babies “R” Us and a fashion portfolio that includes Express, Marc Jacobs, and Vera Wang.

The retailer named LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon, and KPop Demon Hunters among the brands it plans to stock. It did not pitch adult collectors in the announcement — Circana did that work for them.

Dated Friday, Sept. 18, 2026: Toys “R” Us announces 120 new standalone stores for the holiday season (160 total by Christmas) as adult/teen toy demand leads industry growth — NBC News / Circana.

Sources