Target is adding about 500-sq.-ft. to toy departments in 500 stores, carving out the additional space by cutting back on its assortment of CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray and books, says a Target spokesman. The expanded toy departments will be in place by Nov. 2.

As are countless other retailers of all stripes – Walmart, Party City, Michael’s and even Footlocker — Target wants to cash in on the absence of Toys R Us, which liquidated earlier this year.

Target is fully remodeling toy departments in 100 of the 500 stores and adding more than 2,500 new and exclusive toys, about double the amount of a year ago, the retailer said. The revamped toy departments will feature a three-foot Lego slide sitting above the aisles, interactive activity walls; children’s books also are being re-located alongside the toy department.

In the stores getting additional space for toys, the entertainment departments will shift to a mix of exclusives and new releases, “reflecting a broader shift in the industry and consumer behavior,” says the Target spokesman. In Target’s other 1,300 stores, the entertainment departments are unchanged.