Toys'R'Us Is Making A Comeback In The United States

Toys"R"Us is making a major comeback in the United States! The iconic toy retailer announced that 120 new standalone Toys"R"Us stores will open across the country for the 2026 holiday season, dramatically expanding the chain's physical presence in the U.S.

Toys"R"Us store in San Marcos, Texas. Image courtesy of Toys"R"Us.

For longtime Star Wars action figure collectors, there are few toy store names that carry as much nostalgia as Toys"R"Us. Whether you remember hunting for the latest Kenner figures together with your parents in the 1970s/1980s, checking the pegs for new Star Wars figures in the early 2000s, or tracking down one of the retailer's many exclusives, Toys"R"Us was once an important part of the collecting and toy run experience.

Now, the famous toy retailer is preparing for a surprisingly large expansion in the United States.

120 New Toys"R"Us Stores Are Coming

On September 17, 2026, Toys"R"Us announced that it will open 120 new standalone stores across the United States in partnership with Go! Retail Group. The stores are scheduled to open during the 2026 holiday season.

Once the expansion is complete, Toys"R"Us says it will have approximately 160 standalone locations operating across the country. Those stores are in addition to the Toys"R"Us shops currently found inside Macy's locations nationwide.

That is a significant expansion for a retailer that, not all that long ago, appeared to have disappeared from the American retail landscape entirely.

What Will The New Stores Carry?

According to Toys"R"Us, the new locations will offer a curated selection of toys, collectibles and holiday gifts from major brands and entertainment properties. The company specifically mentioned LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon and other popular brands in its announcement.

Star Wars was not specifically mentioned in the press release, but considering the franchise's continued presence in the toy aisles through companies such as Hasbro and LEGO, we will certainly be interested to see what the action figure selection looks like once these stores begin opening.

For collectors, that may ultimately be the most interesting part of this expansion. Having another physical retailer carrying action figures could mean another place to find Star Wars: The Vintage Collection, Star Wars: The Black Series and potentially retailer exclusives in the future.

And let's face it, finding a new figure hanging on an actual store peg is still a lot more fun than refreshing a product page at exactly 10:00am PT and hoping the retailer updates their page on time.

More Than Just Toy Aisles

Toys"R"Us also appears to be experimenting with what a modern toy store can be. Select locations are expected to include Creator Studios where influencers, toy companies and content creators can produce content, reveal new products and host launches and special events.

Some stores will also feature candy shops and cafés. It sounds like Toys"R"Us wants at least some of these locations to become destinations rather than simply places where customers walk in, grab a toy and leave.

For the collecting community, the Creator Studio concept is particularly interesting. Toy reveals and launch events taking place inside Toys"R"Us stores would certainly bring back some of the excitement that physical toy retail has lost over the past decade.

Could Toys"R"Us Become Important To Star Wars Collectors Again?

That remains to be seen, but we certainly hope so.

Older collectors will remember a time when Toys"R"Us was a regular stop on the weekly toy run. The retailer carried plenty of Star Wars figures over the years and offered numerous exclusives, including multipacks, vehicles and figures that sent collectors driving from store to store looking for that one location which actually had them in stock.

Of course, simply putting the Toys"R"Us sign back above the door does not automatically recreate that experience. For collectors, the success of these stores will depend heavily on selection, inventory, pricing and whether companies such as Hasbro view Toys"R"Us as an important retail partner again.

Still, going from 40 standalone stores to approximately 160 in a single holiday season is a substantial move. At a time when action figure collectors have fewer dedicated brick-and-mortar toy stores to visit, having another major retailer competing for our collecting dollars could be a very welcome development.

Where Will The New Toys"R"Us Stores Be Located?

Unfortunately, Toys"R"Us did not include a complete list of the 120 new locations in its announcement. Stores are expected to open across the United States throughout the holiday season, and additional locations and opening dates should become clearer as the rollout gets underway.

We will be keeping an eye on the expansion, particularly to see which locations open in different parts of the country and what kind of Star Wars action figure selection collectors can expect to find once the doors open.

It has been a long time since many collectors could simply say, "I'm going to Toys"R"Us to look for Star Wars figures." If this expansion goes according to plan, quite a few of us may be saying that again very soon.

Source: Toys"R"Us / PR Newswire