Walking inside Toys R Us used to feel like entering a warehouse-sized kingdom of chaos, neon lights, and the unmistakable smell of fresh plastic. You probably remember the floor-to-ceiling shelves and the way the shopping carts rattled against those linoleum floors. It was overwhelming. It was loud. Honestly, it was a core memory for anyone born between 1960 and 2010. But if you walk into a "store" today, things are drastically different.
The Geoffrey you know is still there, but the building he lives in has shrunk.
Ever since the 2017 bankruptcy filing and the eventual shuttering of all US locations in 2018, the brand has been playing a high-stakes game of musical chairs. Now owned by WHP Global, the iconic toy retailer isn't trying to build massive standalone boxes in suburban strip malls anymore. Instead, they’ve tucked themselves inside Macy’s stores and popped up in airports. It’s a weird, nostalgic, and sometimes polarizing experience that tries to capture the "magic" without the massive overhead that killed the original company.
The Macy’s Partnership: A Store Within a Store
If you want to go inside Toys R Us today, you’re likely headed to the mall. But not the toy store wing—you’re going to Macy’s. Through a massive partnership, Toys R Us shops have opened in every Macy’s location across the country.
It's a "shop-in-shop" concept. Basically, it’s a curated section of the department store decked out in that familiar blue and white branding. You’ll see the life-sized Geoffrey on a Bench photo op, which is basically the new version of the old animatronic displays. The floor space ranges from 1,000 square feet in smaller markets to 10,000 square feet in flagship locations like Herald Square in New York.
It’s cleaner. It’s quieter. It’s... sophisticated?
That’s the part that catches people off guard. The old stores were gritty. They had a "stack 'em high and let 'em fly" mentality. Today, the shelves are neatly organized by brand—Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Nerf. It feels less like a treasure hunt and more like a high-end showroom. While this is great for parents who want to find a birthday gift in five minutes, it lacks that sensory overload that made the original 40,000-square-foot warehouses feel like a playground.
The Flagship Experience at American Dream
If the Macy’s version feels too small for you, there is one place where the old-school scale lives on. The flagship inside Toys R Us at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey is a two-story, 20,000-square-foot behemoth.
This is the closest you’ll get to the "glory days."
It has a slide. Not a little plastic one, but a multi-story spiral that kids can actually use to get from the second floor to the first. There’s a café. There’s an ice cream parlor. It’s less of a retail store and more of a "destination." According to WHP Global CEO Yehuda Shmidman, the goal for these flagships is to create an "ecosystem" where the brand can live beyond just selling boxes.
The variety here is actually impressive. You’ll find:
- A massive Lego section with local-themed builds.
- A "Geoffrey’s Pantry" with weirdly specific candy.
- Interactive demo tables where kids can actually touch the toys before the parents buy them.
But even here, the business model has shifted. It’s about "retailtainment." The store doesn't just rely on selling a $20 action figure; it relies on you spending three hours there and buying lunch, a souvenir, and maybe a premium collector’s item that you can’t find at Target.
Why the Warehouse Model Died (and Why It’s Not Coming Back)
People love to blame Amazon for the death of the original inside Toys R Us experience. Amazon definitely played a role, but the reality is much messier. The company was saddled with billions in debt from a leveraged buyout in 2005. They couldn't afford to fix the leaky roofs or update the ancient checkout systems because all their cash went to paying off interest.
Retail experts like Burt Flickinger have pointed out that the "category killer" model—where one giant store dominates a single niche—struggles in an era where people want convenience.
When you go inside Toys R Us now, you’re seeing a lean, mean, retail machine. By partnering with Macy’s, the brand doesn't have to worry about the light bill, the air conditioning, or the parking lot maintenance. They just provide the toys and the brand. It’s a lower-risk way to exist. But for the purists who miss the 1990s vibe, it feels a little bit like a ghost in a department store’s clothing.
The Layout: Navigating the New Floor Plans
The flow of a modern Toys R Us is designed to maximize "dwell time." In the Macy's setups, they usually put the toy section on an upper floor. Why? To make you walk past the clothes, the shoes, and the kitchenware.
Once you’re in the toy zone, it’s organized by "brand boutiques." This is a huge shift from the old days when toys were grouped by category (e.g., all action figures in one aisle). Now, Mattel has its section, Hasbro has its section, and Lego has its section.
Honestly, it feels a bit like a mini-mall within a mall.
- The Entrance: Usually marked by a large Geoffrey graphic and a QR code that links to their online catalog.
- The "Hot" Zone: The front tables usually feature whatever movie is currently out. If there’s a new Marvel flick, expect a wall of plastic shields and capes.
- The Photo Op: The Geoffrey bench is almost always placed near the edge of the section to lure people in for Instagram photos.
- The "Play" Tables: Unlike the old stores where everything was behind "spider wraps" and security tags, the new layouts encourage kids to actually play with demo units.
What’s Actually on the Shelves?
Is the selection good? Sorta.
If you’re looking for the latest Squishmallows, Bluey playsets, or Star Wars Black Series figures, you’re in luck. The buying team for the new Toys R Us is surprisingly tapped into trends. They aren't just stocking leftovers.
However, collectors have noted a limitation. Because the footprints are smaller, they can’t carry the deep-cut inventory they used to. You won’t find the obscure board games or the weird, off-brand dinosaur toys that filled the bottom shelves in 1995. It’s a "greatest hits" collection of the toy world.
The pricing is another point of contention. Macy’s isn't known for being a discount leader. While Toys R Us tries to price-match big-box retailers, you might find that some items are a few dollars more expensive than they would be at a Walmart or a warehouse club. You're paying for the convenience and the branding.
The "Geoffrey’s World" Expansion
The brand is also moving into travel retail. Have you seen a Toys R Us in an airport yet?
They’ve opened locations in places like Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). These are tiny—more like kiosks or small boutiques. They specialize in "boredom busters." Think travel-sized games, plushies for the plane ride, and high-margin electronics like headphones.
It’s a brilliant move. Parents are desperate in airports. They will pay almost anything to keep a toddler quiet for a four-hour flight. By putting the brand inside an airport, they’re reaching a captive audience that doesn't care about the price of a Barbie as much as they care about their own sanity.
Acknowledging the Nostalgia Gap
We have to be real here: for many adults, going inside Toys R Us today is a bit of a letdown. It’s like visiting your childhood home and finding out the new owners painted over your height markers on the doorframe.
The "Soul" of the store—that chaotic, infinite-possibility feeling—is harder to find in a 2,000-square-foot corner of a Macy’s. There are no "Bike Barns." There are no massive video game walls with those little paper slips you had to take to the "Red Zone" cage.
But for a six-year-old today? They don't have that baggage. To them, a wall of Legos is a wall of Legos, whether it’s in a standalone building or next to the men's suit section. The brand is surviving because it’s adapting to how people actually shop now, which is mostly online or as part of a larger multi-purpose trip.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Visit
If you’re planning to take the kids (or yourself) to see what’s left of the empire, keep these tips in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Check the Flagship Status: Before you drive an hour, check if the Macy's you’re visiting is a "flagship" or a "neighborhood" location. The flagship stores (like those in major cities) have significantly more "wow" factor and better inventory.
- Use the Macy's App: Since the stores are integrated, you can often use Macy’s rewards (Star Rewards) and coupons on toy purchases. This is the secret to getting prices down to "Walmart levels."
- Look for the Bench: Every location has the Geoffrey bench. If you're going for the nostalgia, that's the shot. It's the only consistent physical link to the old branding.
- Check for Events: Many of the larger "store-in-store" locations host "Geoffrey’s Birthday" events or Lego build days, especially on Saturdays. These are usually free and give you a bit more of that old-school community vibe.
- Manage Expectations: If you’re expecting a 1990s warehouse, don't go. If you’re looking for a well-curated, clean, and modern toy shopping experience, you’ll probably enjoy it.
The reality is that inside Toys R Us isn't a fixed location anymore; it's a brand that exists wherever there's a shelf and a giraffe logo. It’s a leaner version of a retail giant that almost disappeared entirely. While the physical footprint has shrunk, the brand recognition remains high enough that it’s still a major player in the $100 billion global toy market. Whether this "parasitic" retail model—living inside other stores—is sustainable long-term is still being debated by analysts, but for now, the "Toys R Us Kid" in all of us still has a place to go.