Nostalgic Toy Store Makes a Comeback in Chicago Mall

An iconic toy store many of us think of as synonymous with our childhoods has officially made a comeback in the Chicago area. Over the weekend, shoppers packed an already-popular mall to the gills with the goal of being one of the first people to patronize the new establishment and revel in the nostalgic glory.

Toys "R" Us enjoyed a phenomenal run from the late 1940s through the mid-2010s. With the rise of brick and mortar competition and online commerce, Toys "R" Us struggled to compete. Coupled with a significant debt load as a result of a leveraged buyout, the domestically popular toy store filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and 2018 before closing all of its stores by 2021.

Since then, Toys "R" Us has been making what you might call a "soft" comeback. Over 400 Toys "R" Us locations have opened inside existing Macy's locations, and flagship stores were erected in New Jersey and in the Mall of America in the last couple years. Now, the Chicago region has a Toys "R" Us of their own once again!

Illinois' first "new" Toys "R" Us store now exists inside Harlem Irving Plaza in Chicago's suburban Norridge village. The store's grand opening was Saturday, October 26th. Hundreds of shoppers packed the plaza, with the first 50 guests receiving a "swag bag" of goodies.

The new store is 10,000 square feet and, per NBC 5 Chicago. Saturday's grand opening was underscored by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a special appearance from the Toys "R" Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe, face-painting, and balloon-twisting.

The store is located at 4104 North Harlem Avenue in Norridge. The new location is open 10am - 9pm Monday - Saturday and 11am - 6pm on Sunday.

Described as a "modern retail concept" with an "immersive shopping experience," the North Harlem Avenue Toys "R" Us features a barrage of recognizable toys and brands, such as LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, and more, per NBC 5 Chicago.

The Harlem Irving Plaza Toys "R" Us location is one of up to 24 new standalone stores the corporation plans on opening over the next couple years. Meanwhile, it was revealed the children's clothing store Babies "R" Us, which went out of business in 2018, would be opening up 200 stores across the country inside existing Kohl's stores.

Find out more about the new Toys "R" Us location in Chicago on Harlem Irving Plaza's website.