NEWS

Toys R Us confirms official UK comeback following website soft-launch

Published on: 20th October 2022

Following a soft-launch in October, Toys R Us and Babies R Us have confirmed their return to the UK marketplace in time for Christmas.

Babies R UsFollowing a successful relaunch of Toys R Us and Babies R Us in Australia, Toys R Us ANZ Limited, and WHP Global – the parent company of Toys R Us and Babies R Us – have officially announced their renewed presence in the United Kingdom with the launch of their digital flagship eCommerce websites, ToysRUs.co.uk and BabiesRUs.co.uk. The websites soft launched in October, as reported by Toy World.

Dr. Louis Mittoni, CEO and managing director of Toys R Us ANZ, the exclusive licence partner for Toys R Us and Babies R Us in Australia and the UK, said: “This important event is an acknowledgment of our devotion to the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands, and testimony to the fantastic working relationship with worldwide brand owner WHP Global.”

Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and CEO of WHP Global and Toys R Us, added: “The momentum behind the Toys R Us brand, and its return to key markets including the UK and United States, has been phenomenal. We are in early innings for what customers can expect from both Toys R Us and Babies R Us as we head into 2023.”

Toys R Us UK has returned to the market with a huge range of products on the Toys R Us and Babies R Us flagship sites from more than 300 brands and is aiming to further enhance the customer experience with additional engaging content and product differentiation.

“Tailoring our successful Australian relaunch plan to the UK echoes the success of other eCommerce platform play businesses that have delivered growth and value due to their ability to quickly and cost effectively expand their software, processes, partner relationships and brands into new countries,” explained Louis. “Since Toys R Us’ return to Australia in June 2019, we have scaled quickly as customers returned to the much-loved brand and our eCommerce model has proven its success.”

The United Kingdom has one of the most advanced and mature eCommerce markets in the world, with internet-savvy consumers increasingly embracing online purchasing. The total addressable market for toys and games in the UK for 2021 was £3.7b, representing the largest toy market in Europe and the fourth largest globally.

Mike Coogan, marketing director of Toys R Us UK, commented: “It is a very exciting time for Babies R Us and Toys R Us and we cannot wait to reclaim our position with British shoppers as the premiere supplier of the very best toys, games, and babycare products for parents and children.”

Toy World readers can find out more about the return of Toys R Us and Babies R Us in our exclusive interview with Louis, which will be running in the November issue of Toy World. Toy World will also keep readers fully up to date on the latest developments in the UK as the company continues its comeback.

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