Toys R Us was a victim of its own success. It became so big and dominant in the toy market that it failed to adapt when new competitors, like Amazon, entered the scene. Toys R Us didn't innovate to keep up with changing consumer trends – they just relied on their tried and tested formula.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and 2018, closing all of its stores in the US, UK, and Australia, with the last US stores closing in 2021. Operations in other international markets such as Asia and Africa were less affected, but chains in Canada, parts of Europe and Asia were eventually sold to third parties.

June 1957, Washington, D.C., United StatesToys“R”Us / Founded

Etymology. After Toys "R" Us, American toy-store chain, itself a phonetic rendering of "toys are us".

Toys “R” Us does exist already. They had an online return in 2021 after being acquired by WHP Global and now work with Macy's to sell toys online under the Toys “R” Us name.

One flagship store already exists: Toys “R” Us marked its US return with a 20,000 sq ft. flagship store that opened at the New Jersey American Dream Mall in 2022. In 2021, WHP Global acquired Toys “R” Us from Tru Kids Inc., which bought the failed brand in a 2018 liquidation sale.

The storied brand first launched in India in October 2017, tying up with the Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group International. However, the pandemic-induced lockdown and the economic slump that followed forced Toys R Us to cease operations.

Due to bankruptcy, Toys "R" Us was forced to close all of its locations worldwide. However, in late 2022, the business partnered with Macy's department stores and was operating in specific locations across the US. Toys "R" Us also continues as an online retailer to international markets.

History of toys. Objects with human and animal forms that may have been toys have been found in deposits from ancient Sumer dating to 2600 bce. The earliest-known written historical mention of a toy comes from about 500 bce in a Greek reference to yo-yos made from wood, metal, or painted terra-cotta.

In 1995, Thinkway Toys created the first pull-string Woody and talking Buzz Lightyear action figures prior to the first film's release.

Kids in the 1980s and '90s grew up singing the lyrics, “I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid.” The jingle dates back to 1982, when bestselling novelist James Patterson co-created it with Linda Kaplan Thaler. The two were coworkers at the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.

“We realised the nostalgic affinity we had with the brand started with the backwards R. To us, the childlike “R” personifies the whole idea of play; so we reclaimed it”. The “R” became the shining beacon, the torch at the front of the rebranding.