The Rise and Fall of Toys R Us

Inside the wild and tumultuous history of Toys R Us, the beloved children's brand once again attempting a comeback with in-store shops at Macy's just in time for the holidays. What was once one of the first “category killers,” has faced troubled times. Now, the beloved toy store is reopening its doors once more, this time from inside select Macy's department stores across the US. The in-store shops are currently operating in Georgia, New Jersey, Illinois, Nevada, Louisiana, New York, Maryland, and Missouri, with more expected by October 15.  The return of Toys R Us comes after the store closed its last two remaining stores in January 2021, after the coronavirus pandemic hit in-store sales. The brand previously struggled to make a comeback the year prior, including teaming with Amazon to fulfill its orders.  The beleaguered toy company first tried to make a brick-and-mortar return in 2019, after it was purchased by Tru Kids Brands, which went on to open holiday pop-up shops and relaunch a website in the retailer's name. This podcast is brought to you by: Accelevents: Sign up for a free trial of Accelevents today. Zapier: Try Zapier for free today at zapier.com/Rocketship Shopify: Start selling on Shopify today. Go to Shopify.com/Rocketship now. Felix Gray: To get the best blue light glasses on the market, go to Felixgrayglasses.com/Rocketship Produx Labs: New students can use the code ROCKET at checkout to enroll in Product Institute Foundations for just $999. That’s a $200 savings! Drata: Listeners can get 10% off by visiting drata.com/partner/rocketship Rocketship is brought to you by The Podglomerate. *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy.  Since you're listening to Rocketship, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding entrepreneurship, business, and careers like Creative Elements and Freelance to Founder.