Toys R Us is returning to Wichita with a permanent store
In 2018, Toys R Us closed all of its U.S. stores, including the last one still open in Wichita, at Eastgate Plaza, Kellogg and Rock.
But last week, the toy retailer announced that it would open more than 30 locations across the country for the holiday season. Eight would be permanent, and the rest would be temporary seasonal shops.
Wichita is one of the cities getting a permanent “flagship” Toys R Us store: It will open in the coming months in Towne East Square, said Hayley Makovec, the mall’s director of marketing and business development.
Toys R Us is taking over the 13,000-square-foot space on the lower level near Dillard’s that was home to Forever 21 until it closed in March. A locally owned discount women’s clothing and accessory shop called SOT Boutique took over the Forever 21 space in the spring and is still operating there, but it will move somewhere else in the mall, Makovec said.
Macovec said that Toys R Us hopes to be open in time for the holiday shopping season.
The Toys R Us chain filed for bankruptcy in 2017 then closed all of its stores in 2018. It was sold to WHP Global in 2021, and that company has been rebuilding the brand and reopening stores.
Beside Wichita, the company is also putting new permanent stores in Camarillo, California; Aurora, Illinois; Hanover, Maryland; Deer Park, New York; Thornton, Colorado; Des Moines; and Omaha.
Toys R Us previously had two stores in Wichita. The one at 4646 W. Kellogg opened in 1988 but closed in 2006, when it was converted into a Babies R Us store. The company abandoned that spot altogether in 2018, and the building is now home to Plumbers & Pipefitters Apprenticeship Training of Kansas.
The Toys R Us store at 8011 E. Kellogg opened in 1990 but closed in 2018. Its former 45,000-square-foot space is now occupied by Aldi and outdoor store Sierra.
Toys R Us was founded in 1948 in Washington, D.C., as a baby furniture store. It was known for its mascot, Geoffrey the giraffe, and had its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. It was felled by competition from big-box retailers and the rise of e-commerce.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM.
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