Toys R Us is planning to open up another flagship shopping location — this time in Bloomington, Minnesota at the Mall of America. It's a name that has been synonymous with children's toys, and the famous toy and game brand is planning the new brick-and-mortar expansion in an era of online giants like Amazon.
The brand had previously set up what it called its other global flagship store at another shopping complex called American Dream in New Jersey.
Toys R Us also previously set up shopping locations at nearly 500 pop-up locations inside Macy's stores across the United States.
This latest location at the Mall of America was made possible in part through a partnership with Go! Retail Group, the company said.
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There is also a Toys R Us location at Terminal A in the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
In September 2017, Toys R Us filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at a time when brick-and-mortar retailers were working through yet another year of competition with online retailers and brands that found success with their online segment.
In 2005 the company was purchased in a leveraged buyout deal by private equity firms Bain Capital and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts for around $6 billion.
In 2018 Brian Misamore of Harvard Business said the toy company had been losing money and feeling the effects of high competition in the retail toy and game industry. Misamore also said the company was bought out because it had suffered under a high debt load.
Toys R Us' parent company, New York-based management firm WHP Global, was valued in March at $1.6 billion after it was able to raise new capital from money controlled by a private equity unit that is part of Ares Management Corporation.
