Iconic toy retailer set to open in California mall gets shoppers buzzing with nostalgia

The toys are back in town.

Iconic toy retailer Toys “R” Us is opening a new location at the Northridge Fashion Center in the San Fernando Valley, setting the internet abuzz with nostalgia.

A photo from What’s New SFV shows a sign in front of a closed Sephora store revealing that a Toys “R” Us will be moving into the storefront. The sign says the store will open in fall 2026.

Toys “R” Us currently has a small outpost inside Macy’s at the mall, but this appears to be a separate location. The new store will be located on level 2 of the shopping center, near Foot Locker and Sephora.

A representative for the Northridge Fashion Center says the store is a year-long “pop-up” location that will open next month.

Fans reacted to the surprising opening online.

“They should do retro toy section for us grown ups who were a kid so we can relive our childhood memories back in the day,” one commenter wrote.

“That’s cute that they’re doing that but it’ll never be a real Toys R Us that old heads remember,” another commenter wrote.

“Now bring back Payless!” a third commenter said.

Toys “R” Us has had a tumultuous last decade. The chain shuttered all of its U.S. locations in 2018 after filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017.

The chain went on to reopen locations in New Jersey and Texas in 2019, before shutting them down again in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Later that year, after being sold to WHP Global, the chain partnered with Macy’s to open outposts inside of the department store’s location. The retailer is currently open in all Macy’s U.S. locations.

Outside of Macy’s, retailer has several standalone flagship locations across the country, including at Camarillo Premium Outlets in Camarillo, California, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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