Following the opening of the York Toys R Us shop-in-shop last week, two further locations are set to commence trading on Saturday.
Eight more WHSmith shop-in-shop locations are slated to open this summer in the UK, and Toys R Us has confirmed that branches in Oxford and Cheltenham will be the next to open their doors to customers, from Saturday, June 17th.
Toys R Us branded shop-in-shops in both these high street locations will see customers welcomed by a life-size Geoffrey the Giraffe 3D sculpture, ideal for selfies, and a specially curated range of toys displayed according to age, interest and category. Shoppers will be able to enjoy interactive experiences, demonstration tables and iconic visual elements throughout.
The York Toys R Us shop-in-shop, inside the WHSmith at Monks Cross, held a grand opening last weekend (on Saturday, 10th June). Simon Cartey, UK commercial director at Toys R Us, was in attendance to join those gathered to see Geoffrey the Giraffe cut the ribbon, and there were goodie bag giveaways and pictures with Geoffrey.
“I’m incredibly excited to be here today,” Simon told YorkMix. “It’s just an absolute joy that Toys R Us is back open again in the UK.”
Although the retailer has been trading on its website for the past few months, Simon added that the new store locations would add an extra dimension to shopping for customers, as the brand enjoys a renaissance in the UK. “You can buy a box online, but you can’t experience a toy online,” he added.
Ian Sanders, group commercial development director, commented: “We think Toys R Us and WHSmith are a great fit together. They’re two great heritage brands that will appeal to our existing customers and hopefully attract some new ones too.”
Following the openings in York, Oxford and Cheltenham, exact dates are still to be confirmed for the next Toys R Us branches, opening this summer, in:
Canterbury (St George Street)
Chelmsford (High Street)
Cwmbran (The Mall)
Poole (Towngate Shopping Centre)
Reading (Broad Street)
Solihull (Mell Square)
For more information about the launches and grand opening events, visit www.toysrus.co.uk/storefinder.html or follow WHSmith on Instagram and Toys R Us UK on Instagram and Facebook.
