In The Post-Toys R Us Era, Is There Room For… Toys R Us?
Only a few days after two of the largest toy companies blamed the aftereffects of the Toys R Us bankruptcy for their 4th quarter revenue declines, and after a holiday season in which an array of retailers vied for a bigger piece of the toy pie – some for the first time – is there room in the market for… Toys R Us?
Indeed, while rival retailers increased their toy offerings for the recent holiday season, they were only able to recapture about 35% of Toys R Us’ business, Jefferies analyst Stephanie Wissink said. U.S. toy sales declined 2% in 2018, according to NPD.
The newly created Tru Kids Inc., doing business as Tru Kids BrandsTM, emerged from the bankruptcy with control of all the intellectual property of Toys R Us and its brands and other trademarks. The company is headed by several top former executives, topped by President-CEO Richard Barry (formerly Chief Global Merchandising Officer of Toys R Us) and Vice Chair Yehuda Shmidman, who will “advise on global strategy and execution.” Shmidman is the CEO of Wave Hill Partners, and former CEO of Sequential Brands Group. Other former Toys R Us veterans (and their new titles) include Matthew Finigan (CFO), James Young (EVP of Global License Management & General Counsel), and Jean-Daniel Gatignol (SVP of Global Sourcing & Brands).
Tru Kids’ plans are seemingly synchronized with Wave Hill’s description of its vision (as written on its website): “We acquire global consumer brands trapped in distressed companies, usually driven by antiquated distribution and high leverage. We then reposition those brands to high-growth distribution channels and global digital commerce platforms, and introduce new product categories that are relevant to today’s consumer.”
The Tru Kids announcement gives no detail on the new company’s plans for domestic retail. But, says Barry, “Despite unprecedented efforts to capture the U.S. market share this past holiday season, there is still a significant gap and huge consumer demand for the trusted experience that Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us delivers. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write the next chapter of Toys”R”Us by launching a newly imagined omni channel retail experience for our beloved brands here in the U.S. In addition, our strong global footprint is led by experienced and passionate operating teams that are 100% focused on growth.”
Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in September 2017 and liquidated last year.
Tru Kids will be focus on driving awareness of the Toys R Us brand in the U.S., while relying on licensees to operate stores in international markets. Plans call for 70 locations this year across Europe, Asia, and Europe, Tru Kids said. The licensee include Al Futtaim, Sons Co. (United Arad Emirates), Green Swan (Iberia), Keshet-Hypertoy (Israel), Lotte Shopping Co. (South Korea), Marketing Services and Commercial Projects Operation Co.(Saudi Arabia), Tablez & Toyz Private (India) and Toys Holding/Fung Retailing (Asia).