Every once in a while you read a story/tweet that makes you suddenly sit up in your chair and take serious notice.
This is one such story for me.
According to The NY Post, toy retailer KB Toys, who closed all of its doors here in the US nearly 10 years ago, will be making a return to the retail landscape. This comes on the heels of the extremely disappointing news surrounding the upcoming closure of all Toys ‘R’ Us retail stores in both the UK and in the US.
KB Toys, along with Child World and of course TRU, were a HUGE part of my childhood growing up here in New York. If KB Toys does in fact undergo a successful relaunch, this will certainly help alleviate the deep, deep sting of losing TRU.
Check out what The Post had to say on this topic via the text copied below.
The defunct KB Toys brand is planning a comeback — after nearly a decade in mothballs.
Hoping to capitalize on the apparent demise of Toys ‘R’ Us, the California company that bought the KB brand in 2016 is in talks with pop-up operators to open stores in malls before Black Friday, it said Monday.
Ellia Kassoff, chief executive of Strategic Marks, which bought the KB brand from the US Trademark Office after previous owner Toys ‘R’ Us let it go dormant, said he will open as many stores as possible later this year.
Kassoff is a collector of dead retail brands. His company owns Bamberger’s, I. Magnin, Bullock’s the Hydrox cookie brand and others.
“My original idea for the KB brand was to relaunch it online,” but everything changed when Toys ‘R’ Us said it would liquidate its 730 stores, Kassoff told The Post.
Strategic Marks is in talks with Go! Retail Group, Spencer Spirit Holdings and Party City to provide the real estate — as well as major toy manufacturers, including Mattel, Kassoff said.
“KB Toys’ specialty was selling discontinued and discounted merchandise,” said Chris Byrne, executive director and content director for TTPM, a toy review website. “I could absolutely see this working, especially with all of the merchandise out there that was earmarked for Toys ‘R’ Us.”
To be sure, Walmart, Target, Amazon and others are expected to increase their toy offerings, experts say. Toys ‘R’ Us accounted for about 12 percent of US toy sales last year, according to The NPD Group.
