Remember last year when Toys ‘R’ Us shocked us all with the sad announcement that the company was going into receivership?
It meant no more Babies ‘R’ Us and Toys ‘R’ Us and we were left wondering WHERE would we go for our baby/children stuff now?
Well, guess what! Just over a year after shutting their doors, Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us are coming back! And in less than ONE WEEK. How awesome is this news?!! We’ve got all the deets below:
Get Ready to Play!
Same great store but with new owners in the big seat
Hobby Warehouse has bought both Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us and will be launching their online store 12 June 2019. They have a countdown on their website as well as a cute video marking the occasion.
Who gets the goods?
The online store will stock heaps of different toys from top brands and will ship all over Australia and New Zealand.
Hobby Warehouse Chief Executive, Louis Mittoni, said:
We are delighted to bring the much-loved brands of Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us back to Australia and to introduce them to New Zealand.
Our mission is to encourage children to engage with as many forms of play as we possibly can. Hobby Warehouse is a digital native with a keen understanding of how to accelerate and match the requirements of the modern shopper.”
Check out the new launch video below:
Online first, warehouses later
The initial 12 June launch will be online only but Hobby Warehouse has plans to bring back the bricks and mortar warehouses in 2020.
As yet, there is no word about where the first stores will launch, but we’re assuming they will be placed all over Australia. Previously there were 44 Toys ‘R’ Us warehouse scattered across Australia so fingers crossed they all make a grand return!
What toys can we expect to see?
All the good ones! Some of the brands include:
- LEGO®
- Disney Marvel, Star Wars, Disney Pixar, Disney Princess & more)
- Funko
- Mattel (Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, Uno® & more)
- L.O.L. Surprise!
- Hasbro (My Little Pony, NERF, Monopoly & more)
- Bandai
- Spin Master (Meccano®, Air Hogs®, PAW Patrol®, Hatchimals® & more)
- PLAY-DOH,
- Thomas & Friends®
- Monster Jam®
- Lamaze
- John Deere
- Bruder
- Britax
- InfaSecure
- Journey Girls®
- Fastlane®
- True Heroes®
- You & Me®
- Imaginarium®
- Just Like Home®
- Koala Baby®, Koala Kids® and Koala Baby Boutique®
What about previous Toys ‘R’ Us gift cards?
When the news of the receivership hit, one of the biggest disappointments for parents was that they couldn’t redeem their gift cards after a certain date. So now that the store is back, can we redeem those gift cards stashed in the drawers?
Sorry, it’s still a no. According to the Toys ‘R’ Us site, “We are unable to honour old gift cards or service products purchased from Toys ‘R’ Us Australia prior to 5th June 2019 under our agreement.”
I don’t know about you, but here at Mum Central we’re stoked to see this store back online!
