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Business and Economic News
MPR News Staff

Toys R Us to open new flagship store at Mall of America

A visitor leaves the Mall of America.
A visitor leaves the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.
Jim Mone | AP 2020

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An iconic toy store chain that largely vanished from the retail landscape in recent years announced Monday that it’s planning to open a new flagship location at the Mall of America.

The owners of Toys R Us say the new store will be opening this weekend — ahead of the holiday shopping season — with an opening celebration planned Friday through Sunday. It’ll occupy an 11,000-square-foot space on Level 1 on the mall’s east side.

Toys R Us “has played a role in creating special memories for so many of us,” Heather Brechbill-Swilley, senior vice president of leasing at Mall of America, said in a news release. “We are excited to bring this playful and iconic brand to life at Mall of America for the next generation to enjoy.”

Toys R Us had filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and eventually closed all of its U.S. stores — more than 700.

It’s since re-emerged online and with some initial forays back into brick-and-mortar retail. The Mall of America location will be the chain’s second new flagship store; the other is at American Dream mall in New Jersey.

Toys R Us also has opened shops within Macy’s stores across the country — more than 450 in all.

A rendering of a store front.
A rendering of the new Toys R Us flagship store at Mall of America.
Couretsy of WHP Global

“After the success we’ve experienced with our first flagship at American Dream and shops inside Macy’s, bringing Toys R Us to Mall of America was a must. There is the perfect mix of entertainment and retail that makes it a highly trafficked go-to-destination for families year-round,” Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys R Us at WHP Global — the chain’s parent company — said in a news release.

The company said after the initial opening this month, the Mall of America location next year “will introduce exciting new branded elements like Geoffrey’s Café and ice cream parlor as well as interactive experiences and product demonstrations from popular toy vendors.”