Toys 'R' Us opens new store in Galleria
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- You can be a Toys "R" Us kid again just in time for the holiday season.
The iconic toy chain is opening up a brand new store at the Galleria.
The store officially opens to the public Saturday at 10 a.m.
The Houston location is only the second to open since the brand filed for bankruptcy in 2017.
Toy buying will still be at the heart of the brand, but Richard Barry, President and CEO of Toys "R" Us parent company, Tru Kids, promises an exciting new experience.
"I'm a 30 plus Toys 'R' Us kid and being given the opportunity to re-imagine the experience," Barry said. "This is a very different store from the traditional Toys 'R' Us store, being able to re-imagine the business was kind of a dream come true."
New Toys "R" Us stores will be a fraction of the size of the original stores and will be focused in high traffic locations, like the Galleria.
Barry says the new stores will also feature engaging, interactive experiences designed for kids and families, such as the inclusion of an in-store movie theater and tree house.
"Customers are interacting with brands in a different way," Barry said. "They're interacting through experiences and we're doing that in a huge way with this store."
Toys "R" Us has also teamed up with Target to relaunch an e-commerce website where customers can browse products, see reviews and be redirected to the Target website when they're ready to complete their purchase.
The restart comes just two years after the retailer went bankrupt and was forced to close all of its stores in the country.
By the end of next year, Toys "R" Us plans to open up eight more stores in the U.S.
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Big traffic changes coming to Galleria area this holiday season
