Toys "R" Us Europe

Toys "R" Us Europe is a toy chain operating across Spain and Portugal by the Prenatal Retail Group, with the brand being used under license by Tru Kids.^[1] It has previously operated in many other parts of Europe.

Toys "R" Us launched in Spain in 1991, and in Portugal in 1993.^[2] In August 2018, "Toys "R" Us Iberia", consisting of stores in Spain and Portugal, was sold to Green Swan.^[3] In April 2022, Toys "R" Us Iberia filed for bankruptcy.^[4] In July 2022, Italian business Prenatal Retail Group purchased Toys "R" Us Iberia under a long-term agreement with the brand owners WHP Global, and continue operating the stores and website under the brand.^[5]

In October 1994, Toys "R" Us launched in Scandinavia.^[6] In Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, Toys "R" Us stores were independently operated by Top-Toy under license.^[7] Because of this, these respective stores were not affected by the bankruptcy of Toys "R" Us' parent company. However, Top Toy would file for bankruptcy itself on December 30, 2018, due to poor holiday sales,^[8][9] with all Toys "R" Us stores closing by January 10, 2019.

Toys "R" Us France launched in 1989.^[10] In July 2018, Toys "R" Us France went into receivership in order to look for a buyer.^[11] The franchise including 44 of the stores was purchased by French company Jellej Jouets in October 2018. In April 2019, they sold the stores over to Luderix International, the owners of rival chain PicWic.^[12] The merger was soon completed, and by July 2019 all Toys "R" Us and PicWic stores were rebranded as PicWicToys.^[13][14]

Due to profit losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the chain closed several of their stores in 2020, and soon went into receivership in May 2022.^[15] In July 2022, Smyths, who already owned the ex-Toys "R" Us stores in German-speaking areas, purchased PicWicToys.^[16]

Toys "R" Us was founded in Germany in 1987.^[17] Stores in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were operated by Toys "R" Us AG. In April 2018, it was announced that Smyths would acquire Toys "R" Us AG, although they were still pending by July.^[18] The deal was completed in January 2019, and all stores were rebranded as Smyths shortly afterward.^[19]

In 2015, Toys "R" Us opened in Ireland, but closed in 2016 as it failed to compete with rivals, such as Smyths.^[20]

Toys "R" Us was launched in the Netherlands in 1983.^[21] In the Netherlands, 17 stores were operated under the brand by third-party licensee Speelhoorn. In March 2009, the contract between the two companies was not renewed, with Speelhoorn re-branding all the stores as Toys XL,^[22][23] which would be later purchased by rival business Intertoys in 2017. They originally attempted to sell the stores in 1997 to Blokker but were denied permission due to competition costs.^[24]

Toys "R" Us entered the Polish market in October 2011, with their first store opening in Blue City, Warsaw.^[25] In October 2014, they began online operations.^[26]

The Polish operations remained unaffected during the bankruptcy, and by 2017, 16 stores were operating. Eventually, the Polish chain began to close stores to cover the cost of debts and losses affected from the COVID-19 pandemic, closing seven of them in 2021. In February 2022, the store's website was shuttered^[27] and the remaining stores were closed throughout the year. A final location at the Pasaż Łódzki shopping centre in Łódź, Poland remain open as a sole-survivor, but has since closed.^[28]

Toys "R" Us entered Turkey in 1996 by licensing its brand to Turkish firm Uluslararası Çocuk Çarşıları A.S. In 2008, the firm terminated Toys "R" Us' licensing agreement and rebranded the 35 stores as Toyiki.^[29] However, under the new brand, the company struggled and had entered bankruptcy various times. In July 2010, Toyiki shut down their 32 remaining stores in exchange for debts.^[30]