July 28th, 2022, Lesley Simeon
Toys “R” Us has announced that it will have its own shop within each of Macy’s stores in the US, beginning late July. The toy retailer’s locations will offer coloured fixtures, product demonstrations and a “life-size ‘Geoffrey on a Bench’ photo opportunity” for visitors. After permanently closing the last two of its US stores in early 2021 (close to a year after making a highly anticipated comeback in 2019), Toys “R” Us had maintained an online-only presence, selling its products on Macy’s official website.
But what could interest Macy’s to be a part of Toys “R” Us’ comeback story?
According to YouGov BrandIndex - which tracks consumer sentiment towards thousands of brands daily – the shutting down of the remaining two Toys “R” Us stores in the US seems to have had little impact on the brand’s Impression score - which asks consumers about their overall impression of the brand. Despite closing all of its US stores by January 2021, Toys “R” Us, which continued as an online retailer, continued to make gains in Impression.
In August 2021, WHP Global - Tru Kids’ parent company – partnered with Macy’s to bring Toys “R” Us products to Macy’s official website. The partnership also intended to open Toys “R” Us shop-in-shops at 400 of Macy’s stores by 2022. From that date, right through to last year’s holiday season, the brand continued to make gains in Impression.
Some of those gains have slipped away since then, as you might expect for a toy retailer outside of its main marketing season. But there can be no doubt that Macy’s is joining forces with a brand that still commands significant affection among US consumers.
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Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Toys “R” Us’ Impression score is based on the question: “Overall, of which of the following stores do you have a positive impression? / Now which of the following stores do you have an overall negative impression?” (%) and delivered as a percentage. Scores are based on an average daily sample size of 7,642 US adults between January 1, 2021 and July 24, 2022. Figures are based on a 16-week moving average. Learn more about BrandIndex.