WHSmith Set to Bring Toys"R"Us® Back to the High Street for UK Shoppers This Summer

In a new retail partnership, WHSmith and Toys"R"Us announce the opening of Toys"R"Us shop-in-shops in 9 WHSmith High Street stores including York, Oxford, Reading and Cheltenham

NEW YORK, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHP Global, owner of Toys"R"Us, announced today a new retail partnership between WHSmith and Toys"R"Us ANZ Limited for the launch of 9 WHSmith High Street stores which will be unveiling new Toys"R"Us shop-in-shops from this month to bring the beloved children's toy brand back to the UK high street.

The magic of Toys"R"Us will come to life in WHSmith with branded shop-in-shops rolling out in 9 high street locations across the UK. Customers visiting these stores will be welcomed by a life-size Geoffrey the Giraffe 3D sculpture perfect for a family photo opportunity, before discovering and playing across dedicated sections by age, interest, and category, with interactive experiences, demonstration tables and iconic visual elements throughout. Each Toys"R"Us shop-in-shop will feature a key range of products and activities from top toys brands including Barbie, Bluey, Fisher Price, Hot Wheels, LEGO, Marvel, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Playmobil, Star Wars and more.

Sean Toal, Managing Director, WHSmith High Street commented: "At WHSmith, we're always exploring new opportunities to launch exciting, new product ranges to our customers on the high street, and our partnership with Toys "R" Us certainly does this! The brand has long been known for its exceptional range of toys and games and complements our existing offer well. Across each of the nine locations, we have a great team of colleagues who look forward to welcoming many new and existing customers over the coming weeks and showcasing the new store layout and, not forgetting, Geoffrey the Giraffe!"

The new retail partnership follows last year's successful launch of Toys"R"Us UK's digital flagship ecommerce website www.toysrus.co.uk, which features a broad assortment of the best toys and products for families delivering the magic of play for the next generation of Toys"R"Us kids.

Simon Cartey, UK Commercial Director at Toys"R"Us added: "Our new Toys"R"Us shop-in-shops at WHSmith create the perfect home for Toys"R"Us as it returns to the UK high street shopping scene. With this collaboration, we are not only bringing back the beloved Toys"R"Us experience but also providing convenient access to a wide range of toys and games. Together, we hope to create a magical and joyful shopping destination for families across the country."

The first Toys"R"Us opening will take place on Saturday 10 June at WHSmith Monks Cross Retail Park store in York, with an grand opening event for customers. A further 8 Toys"R"Us shop-in-shops will be opening in the following WHSmith High Street stores throughout the summer:

Canterbury (St George Street)
Chelmsford (High Street)
Cheltenham (High Street)
Cwmbran (The Mall)
Oxford (Cornmarket Street)
Poole (Towngate Shopping Centre)
Reading (Broad Street)
Solihull (Mell Square)

Toys"R"Us has been a global leader in the toy category celebrating the joys of childhood and play with kids of all ages for more than 70 years. Geoffrey the Giraffe™, the beloved mascot of Toys"R"Us, is adored by millions of kids and their families around the world. The brand which is now owned by WHP Global generates more than USD$2 billion in global retail sales annually through 1,350+ stores and e-commerce businesses in 31 countries.

For more information about the launches and grand opening events, visit www.toysrus.co.uk/storefinder.html or follow WHSmith on Instagram and Toys"R"Us UK on Instagram and Facebook.

Link to high resolution media assets.

About WHSmith
WHSmith is a leading global retailer for the world's travelling customer. With more than 1,700 stores across 30 countries worldwide, WHSmith offer customers a wide range of travel essentials for their journey, including books, newspapers & magazines, digital accessories and food and drink.

The Company has a growing international business with over 640 stores primarily across the world's leading airports, including over 320 stores in North America, incorporating leading specialty retail brands Marshall Retail Group and InMotion.

WHSmith's High Street business comprises over 520 stores across the UK and customers can shop online 24/7 at WHSmith.co.uk.

Follow WHSmith on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Toys"R"Us ANZ Limited
Toys"R"Us ANZ Limited (ASX: TOY) is an Australian based listed company with a mission to enrich the lives of people by encouraging exploration, creativity and living life more fully through the enjoyment of toys and hobbies. In addition to distributing leading products throughout Australia for key partners via its trading business Funtastic, the company acquired 100% of the Hobby Warehouse Group in November 2020, including Australian e-commerce websites Toys"R"Us, Babies"R"Us and Hobby Warehouse and the distribution business Mittoni Pty Ltd.  The Company changed its name from Funtastic Limited to Toys"R"Us ANZ Limited on 24 June 2021. Further information is available at corporate.toysrus.com.au.

Media Contacts: 

WHSmith
Press Office
+44 (0)1793 563354
[email protected] 

Toys"R"Us / WHP Global
Jaime Cassavechia
+1 646 701 7041
[email protected] 

SOURCE WHP Global