Toys “R” Us went bankrupt and vanished from American malls, but the brand never really died — it fractured into a global patchwork of licensed territories and a revived U.S. presence inside Macy’s. As of 2025, the chain operates in more than 20 countries, and its parent company WHP Global is opening 30 new stores in the U.S. this year alone.

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Founded: 1948 · Peak store count: over 1,500 globally · U.S. bankruptcy filing: September 2017 · Current U.S. presence: stand-alone stores, holiday shops, and over 400 shops inside Macy’s

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact number of stand-alone Toys “R” Us stores in the U.S. today.
  • Whether the brand will expand further in Europe beyond the UK partnership.
  • The specific terms of the WHSmith licensing deal.
  • Whether Toys “R” Us will return to standalone stores in the UK.
  • Long-term strategy for the brand outside Macy’s.
3Timeline signal
  • Toys “R” Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2017, and by 2018 all U.S. and UK stores had closed. In 2021, WHP Global acquired the brand and partnered with Macy’s, leading to over 400 shop-in-shops by 2024. Retail Dive (retail industry news)
4What’s next
  • Toys “R” Us plans to open 30 new U.S. stores in 2025: 10 permanent flagships and 20 seasonal holiday shops, plus six outlets on U.S. military bases. USA TODAY (national newspaper)

Six key facts, one pattern: the brand’s current incarnation is a franchise-and-license model that looks nothing like its pre-bankruptcy self.

Label Value
Founder Charles Lazarus
Year founded 1948
Bankruptcy filing date September 18, 2017
U.S. brand current owner WHP Global (acquired 2021)
Number of Macy’s shop-in-shops over 400
Active outside US 20+ countries via licenses

Does Toys R Us exist anymore?

Yes — but not as the mega-chain you remember. The brand survives as a patchwork of independently licensed territories and a revived U.S. operation inside Macy’s.

Where is Toys R Us still open?

  • United States: Over 400 shop-in-shops inside Macy’s, plus stand-alone flagships and seasonal holiday pop-ups. WHP Global owns the brand and opened 30 new locations in 2025 (USA TODAY (national newspaper)).
  • Australia: Independently operated since the 1990s, with multiple physical stores and a full online store. The U.S. bankruptcy never affected these operations (RLI (retail industry news)).
  • United Kingdom: No standalone stores remain. Since 2022, Toys “R” Us products are sold through a partnership with WHSmith in selected stores (RLI (retail industry news)).
  • South Africa: A licensed operator continues to run physical and online retail, with active marketing campaigns (CoStar (commercial real estate news)).
  • Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and others: Operated through local licensees and partnerships — including a new concept with Lotte in South Korea (CoStar (commercial real estate news)).

How many stores did Toys R Us reopen in the US?

WHP Global and Macy’s launched the initial batch of shop-in-shops in 2022, reaching over 400 locations by 2024. In 2025, the company announced 30 new U.S. stores: 10 permanent flagships (including Chicago Premium Outlets and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport) and 20 seasonal holiday shops (Fast Company (business innovation magazine)).

The upshot

WHP Global’s strategy works because it piggybacks on existing retail traffic rather than building costly standalone stores. For shoppers, the brand is accessible, but the experience is radically different — no giant aisles of toys, just a curated section inside a department store.

The implication: WHP Global’s strategy allows the brand to survive but changes the shopping experience.

The verdict: Toys R Us is back in the US, but inside Macy’s, not as a standalone giant.

Are there any Toys R Us left in Australia?

Yes — and the Australian operations have been running continuously, untouched by the U.S. bankruptcy.

How many Toys R Us stores are in Australia?

  • Toys “R” Us Australia operates as an independently licensed entity. As of 2025, it maintains a network of physical stores across multiple states, though an exact count is not publicly listed (RLI (retail industry news)).
  • The Australian arm never filed for administration and continued trading profitably through the U.S. bankruptcy period.

Can I buy from Toys R Us Australia online?

  • Yes, the Australian division runs a full e-commerce site with nationwide delivery.
Why this matters

For Australian consumers, the brand is essentially unchanged — a rare example of a Toys “R” Us territory that survived the global collapse intact. The contrast with the UK shows how licensing structures can insulate local operations from parent-company failures.

The pattern: Australian operations show how licensing can insulate from parent failure.

The verdict: Australia remains a stronghold with full-size stores and online.

Is Toys R Us still a thing in the UK?

Not as a standalone retailer. All 105 UK stores closed in 2018, but the brand has a diminished presence.

Why is Toys R Us in WHSmith?

  • In July 2022, Toys “R” Us struck a licensing deal with WHSmith, placing toy departments in selected WHSmith stores across the UK (RLI (retail industry news)).
  • The arrangement gives Toys “R” Us UK a physical footprint without the overhead of standalone leases.

Can I buy Toys R Us products in the UK?

  • Yes, via the WHSmith partnership and an online store run by a third-party licensee.
The catch

UK shoppers lose the dedicated toy superstore experience. The WHSmith shops are small counters, not the warehouse‑style aisles that built the brand’s reputation. The brand is alive, but barely recognizable.

The catch: UK shoppers lose the warehouse experience, but the brand persists.

The verdict: UK has a minimal presence via WHSmith, far from the original.

Why did Toys R Us fail?

The collapse of Toys “R” Us is a case study in how debt and digital disruption can kill a retail icon.

Why did Toys R Us end in the US?

  • Heavy debt: A $6.6 billion leveraged buyout in 2005 by KKR, Bain Capital, and Vornado Realty Trust left the company saddled with interest payments (Retail Dive (retail industry news)).
  • E‑commerce lag: While Amazon and Walmart invested in online selling, Toys “R” Us failed to build a competitive digital operation.
  • Price competition: Big‑box rivals offered lower prices and broader selection, squeezing margins.
  • Chapter 11 filing: On September 18, 2017, the U.S. company filed for bankruptcy and liquidated all 735 American stores by 2018.

Why did Toys R Us fail in the UK?

  • Similar pressures: the UK arm went into administration in February 2018, closing all 105 stores and resulting in 3,000 job losses.
  • The UK division was too heavily tied to the U.S. parent’s financing — when the American operation collapsed, the UK followed.

The pattern: debt, not a lack of demand, was the primary killer. The brand still had customer loyalty, but the balance sheet couldn’t support the store base.

What is the 20 toy rule?

Despite sounding like a company policy, the 20‑toy rule has nothing to do with Toys “R” Us.

Where did the 20 toy rule come from?

  • The 20‑toy rule is a parenting guideline popularized by minimalism advocates, suggesting that children focus better with fewer toys (typically no more than 20).
  • It gained traction on parenting blogs and social media, not from any retail policy.

Is the 20 toy rule related to Toys R Us?

  • No. The connection is purely coincidental — the brand’s name “R” Us sounds like a rule, but the retailer never enforced any such policy.
  • The question is a common search query (people confuse the name with a supposed regulation), but the answer is clear: no relationship exists.

Timeline: Toys “R” Us from founding to revival

  • 1948: Charles Lazarus founds Toys “R” Us in Washington, D.C. (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • 2005: Acquired in a leveraged buyout by KKR, Bain Capital, and Vornado Realty Trust (Retail Dive (retail industry news)).
  • September 2017: Files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States.
  • March 2018: Announces liquidation of all U.S. and UK stores.
  • 2019: Tru Kids Inc. acquires the brand and begins planning revival.
  • March 2021: WHP Global acquires the brand and announces partnership with Macy’s (The Business of Fashion (fashion and retail news)).
  • July 2022: Toys “R” Us returns to the UK via WHSmith (RLI (retail industry news)).
  • 2024: Over 400 Macy’s shops and several stand-alone stores operating in the U.S.
  • 2025: 30 new U.S. stores announced, plus international expansion into Chile, Peru, and other markets (USA TODAY (national newspaper)).

Confirmed facts

  • Toys “R” Us operates in the U.S., Australia, UK (via WHSmith), South Africa, and many others. (RLI (retail industry news))
  • WHP Global owns the brand and partners with Macy’s. (The Business of Fashion (fashion and retail news))
  • The 20 toy rule is not a Toys “R” Us policy. (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
  • The UK brand exists only through WHSmith since 2022. (RLI (retail industry news))
  • Toys “R” Us is opening 30 new U.S. stores in 2025. (USA TODAY (national newspaper))

What’s unclear

  • Exact number of stand-alone U.S. stores today.
  • Further European expansion plans beyond the UK.
  • Terms of the WHSmith licensing deal.
  • Whether the UK will ever get standalone stores again.
  • Long-term strategy for the brand outside Macy’s.

“Our partnership with Macy’s has been a remarkable success, bringing Toys ‘R’ Us to millions of shoppers in a new, convenient format.”

— WHP Global CEO (The Business of Fashion (fashion and retail news))

“Toys ‘R’ Us is a cautionary tale of private equity debt strangling a profitable retailer. Its revival is a testament to brand equity, but the model has fundamentally changed.”

— Industry analyst, retail commentary (Retail Dive (retail industry news))

“The company was founded in 1948 by Charles Lazarus and grew to become the world’s largest toy retailer before filing for bankruptcy in 2017.”

— Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)

Additional sources

forbes.com, instagram.com, finance.yahoo.com, marketplace.org, fastcompany.com, whp-global.com, youtube.com, rli.uk.com

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Frequently asked questions

Does Toys R Us have an online store?

Yes, in the U.S. you can buy through Macy’s website and the dedicated Toys R Us site. Australia, the Philippines, and South Africa also have their own e‑commerce stores. In the UK, online orders go through a licensed third‑party platform.

Where is the flagship Toys R Us store in the US?

There isn’t a single flagship. The brand operates multiple permanent locations, including a prominent store at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and one at Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, Illinois (CoStar (commercial real estate news)).

How many Toys R Us stores are there in Australia?

Exact numbers aren’t publicly disclosed, but the Australian network includes multiple physical stores across several states and a full online store. The business has been operating independently since the 1990s.

Is the 20 toy rule a real policy from Toys R Us?

No, it is a parenting guideline unrelated to the retailer. The confusion likely arises from the brand name, but Toys R Us never had such a rule.

Why did Toys R Us close all its UK stores?

The UK arm went into administration in 2018 due to the same debt burden and competitive pressures that affected the U.S. parent. All 105 stores closed, resulting in about 3,000 job losses.

Can I buy Toys R Us products in the UK in 2025?

Yes, through the WHSmith partnership (selected stores) and online via a third‑party licensee. There are no standalone Toys R Us shops in the UK.

What is the difference between Toys R Us in the US and other countries?

The U.S. brand is owned by WHP Global and operates mainly inside Macy’s. Other countries (Australia, South Africa, Philippines) run under independent licenses and have full‑size stores. The UK is the most constrained, existing only as shop‑in‑shops and online.

For shoppers in the U.S., the implication is clear: Toys “R” Us is back, but you’ll find most toys inside Macy’s rather than a giant standalone store. For international markets, the brand remains strong, but the UK is limited to WHSmith and online. The pattern: debt killed the chain, but brand equity revived it in a leaner, partnership‑driven form.