A new Toys “R” Us store has opened inside Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in time for the holidays.
WHP Global, which acquired Toys “R” Us in 2021, has partnered with Duty Free Americas, which operates in airports, seaports, and border crossings, to open a roughly 500-square-foot toy store inside the airport.
The beloved toy store’s new location, situated at Gate A28, includes a life-size 3D sculpture of the store’s mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe.
“Over the weekend, we celebrated the opening of the FIRST Toys ‘R’ Us location in an airport right here at DFW!” said DFW Airport in a Facebook post. “We’re thrilled to welcome Geoffrey (and one of the world’s most iconic toy brands) to our airport, where they can bring smiles to customers around the world. It’s now open daily — just in time for holiday shopping season.”
Founded in 1958, Toys “R” Us became the go-to place to purchase children’s toys in the United States. However, financial mismanagement and mounting debt led the company to declare bankruptcy in 2017. It closed more than 700 stores and sent out pink slips to more than 33,000 employees.
With the launch of Toys “R” Us inside the nation’s second-busiest airport, Duty Free Americas CEO Jerome Falic said he believes the retail concept is sure to draw in travelers from around the world.
“Toys ‘R’ Us is a globally recognized brand beloved by millions of families, and we are confident that the store at DFW will become a must-visit destination for travelers,” Falic said earlier this year, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
While Toys “R” Us has made efforts to increase its brand visibility, the company is moving at a careful pace, selling its merchandise through a small toy section located in Macy’s department stores.
Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and CEO of WHP Global, said he believes the “exciting, new” airport retail concept “could roll out in airports around the world.”
While retailers like Toys “R’ Us and Bed Bath & Beyond have had to shut down stores and declare bankruptcy, some industry experts are claiming it is not over for brick-and-mortar retailers, despite apocalyptic commentary on the threat posed by e-commerce giants like Amazon.
“[P]hysical retail stores serve as well-located billboards for retailers, helping to bolster awareness among shoppers and mitigate marketing expenses,” wrote Brian W. Nagel, managing director and senior analyst at Oppenheimer, in an opinion piece published by CNN.
“And in many cases, retail stores have — or are in the process of — morphing into showrooms, designed more to display products and offer potential consumers physical touch points than to actually sell items outright,” he added.
