New York

Fueled by Customer Demand, Toys ‘R' Us Plans Return to Times Square — at Least Temporarily

What to Know

  • Toys "R" Us shut down its flagship Times Square location in December 2015, but is returning, at least temporarily, due to customer demand
  • The company said the new 35,000 square-foot store will open in August at the Knickerbocker Building at 1466 Broadway
  • The toy store didn't say how long the new shop would stay open

After a nearly two-year absence, Toys "R" Us is returning to Times Square -- at least temporarily.

Customer demand fueled the decision to open a temporary 35,000 square-foot store at the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway, just two blocks from the flagship location at West 44th and West 45th streets that shut down Dec. 30, 2015 after 15 years of calling the intersection home.

The temporary store is scheduled to open later this month in the historic Knickerbocker Building, offering kids and families "a one-stop toy shopping experience – complete with a dedicated play area – just in time for the holiday season," Toys "R" Us said in a statement Thursday. 

The three-level store will have one main entrance on Broadway and include a scaled-down animatronic dinosaur on the second floor, a nod to the huge one at the company's former Times Square location.

Customers will also find other interactive and life-size toy displays across the three-story store throughout the holiday season. Toys "R" Us' buy online, pick-up in-store service will also be available at the 1466 Broadway location. 

The toy store didn't say how long the temporary location would be open.

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