Nostalgic retail brand Toys R Us is expanding its presence in Fairfax County by opening two new standalone stores, one in Fair Oaks Mall and the other in Springfield Town Center.
The Fair Oaks Mall location (11750 Route 50, #J226) will open at an unspecified date soon, while the Springfield store (6677 Springfield Mall, Space 22049) opened Sept. 23.
The new Toys R Us stores don’t have the same massive retail footprint as the business did during its heyday in the 1980s and ’90s, as seen in the location in Fair Lakes that closed nearly a decade ago, but they are part of a major nationwide expansion for the brand, which is opening 120 stores across the country in time for the holiday season.
“A whole generation grew up with Toys R Us, and its return to Springfield Town Center is so exciting because now, they’re bringing their own kids to experience it in person,” Mikia Ross Wilson, the mall’s senior marketing director, told FFXnow.
“We’re seeing a rise in nostalgia for the 90s and 2000s, especially among Gen Z and millennial shoppers,” she added. “This translates not only into tenant demand, but how retail destinations are strategically combining legacy brands with newer lifestyle and entertainment concepts. Today’s consumers want experiences they simply can’t replicate online, and the addition of Toys R Us provides that sentimentality they’re seeking.”
Nationwide, a total of 160 Toys R Us stores, including 40 pop-ups inside Macy’s locations, will be open during the holiday shopping season — a milestone moment for a brand that filed for bankruptcy in 2017. The shops will be filled with items from toy brands and movie tie-ins, such as Pokemon, LEGO, and “K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
Both of the Fairfax County stores are taking over spaces recently occupied by Go! Toys and Games, whose operator, the Go! Retail Group, has partnered with Toys R Us for its expansion. When FFXnow visited the Go! store in Fair Oaks this week, it was still open, but is slowly being emptied of its inventory.
A spokesperson for EJ Media Group, which represents Toys R Us, confirmed to FFXnow that both Fairfax County stores are permanent stores, not pop-ups. A location in Loudoun County was also set to open last week, according to reporting from The Burn.
“This holiday season represents an extraordinary expansion for Toys ‘R’ Us in the U.S., and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the magic of Toys ‘R’ Us to so many communities across the country,” Go! Retail Group CEO Gideon Schlessinger said in a press release. “There’s something special about walking into a Toys ‘R’ Us store, especially during the holidays — the excitement of discovering the hottest toys, seeing favorite brands and characters come to life, and finding that perfect gift.”
