When travelers get home from a business trip, kids often hop with an urgent, timeless query: “What did you bring me?” Until now, passengers had to duck into airport magazines-and-snacks shops to find a last-minute trinket. But soon, Terminal A at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, will offer a gold mine, the mother lode—an actual Toys”R”Us.
WHP Global, the toy retailer’s parent company, has announced a new partnership with travel retailer Duty Free Americas to open the first-ever Toys”R”Us airport store at DFW, the world’s second busiest airport. The store is slated to open in time for the 2023 holiday season.
Oh—and it’s not just solo business travelers the brand is aiming for. When families travel through Terminal A, parents are likely to get their arms pulled out of their sockets when their kids spot the new retail offering.
“Toys”R”Us is a globally recognized brand beloved by millions of families, and we’re confident that the store at DFW will become a must-visit destination for travelers.”Jerome Falic, CEO of Duty Free Americas, said in a statement.
A life-size custom Geoffrey the Giraffe 3D sculpture will be waiting inside the store’s entrance, poised for family selfies. Inside will be “a curated selection of toys and games from the hottest brands.” Demonstration tables will offer chances for “hands-on play,” while iconic brand elements throughout the store will reassure kids that, yes, this really is happening.
Could roll out to ‘airports around the world’
Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and CEO of New York City-based WHP Global, calls the store “an exciting new concept that we believe could roll out in airports around the world.”
New Jersey-based Toys”R”Us was acquired by WHP Global in 2021. At the time, WHP said that Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us “generate over $2 billion in global retail sales annually through nearly 900 branded stores and ecommerce sites in over 25 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East.”
Since the acquisition, WHP says the toy retailer has experienced “significant growth,” doubling its footprint by 50% in 2022 with the national rollout in the U.S. at all Macy’s stores. WHP says that momentum has continued in 2023 with recent launches in India, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
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