Toys R Us is pressing ahead with a major brick-and-mortar expansion timed to the holiday shopping season. The toy retailer will open 120 locations across the U.S., according to Retail Dive.

The push represents a significant bet on physical retail at a moment when many chains continue to consolidate their store fleets. For a brand that has cycled through bankruptcy and retail closures in recent years, a 120-store rollout signals renewed confidence in the channel.

The timing is deliberate. Holiday shopping drives the largest share of annual toy sales, and a physical presence during the peak weeks gives the brand visibility with gift-buying shoppers. Store openings ahead of the holidays also position the retailer to capture impulse purchases and in-store experiences that online channels cannot replicate.

For marketers, the move underscores the continuing role of brick-and-mortar in toy retail, a category where hands-on product interaction and family shopping trips remain important purchase drivers. Brands competing for holiday toy spend should expect a larger physical footprint for Toys R Us to translate into new in-store placement and co-marketing opportunities across the 120 sites.

The expansion will roll out across the U.S. in time for the holiday season, with the openings spanning multiple markets nationwide.

Source: Retail Dive (https://www.retaildive.com/news/toys-r-us-accelerates-store-openings-holidays/830637/)