Tru Kids
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail, Licensing |
| Predecessor | Geoffrey LLC |
| Founded | January 20, 2019 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States (retail outlets), International (licensing, except Canada) |
| Products | Toys "R" Us, Babies "R" Us |
| Owner | WHP Global (majority interest since March 2021) |
Tru Kids, Inc. (; operating under the name Tru Kids Brands) is a U.S.-based retail and licensing firm founded on January 20, 2019. This formation followed the cancellation of the bankruptcy auction by creditors who assumed control of the Toys "R" Us intellectual property in October 2018.
The company manages Toys "R" Us retail outlets within the United States and holds licensing rights for the brand internationally, with the exception of Canada.
History
After Toys "R" Us declared bankruptcy on October 1, 2018, subsequent to store closures on June 28, 2018, Tru Kids was established as its successor by rebranding Geoffrey LLC to Tru Kids. The company aimed to rejuvenate both the Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us brands.
During the 2018 holiday season, Tru Kids introduced Geoffrey's Toy Box, a wholesale concept integrated within Kroger supermarkets designed to retail Toys "R" Us private-label merchandise.
Following the bankruptcy resolution, trademarks were officially transferred to Tru Kids on January 20, 2019. In July that year, announcements were made regarding the reopening of U.S. stores at Houston’s Galleria Mall and New Jersey’s Westfield Garden State Plaza. This relaunch included collaboration with software firm b8ta to improve customer engagement in physical locations.
October 2019 saw Tru Kids partner with Target Corporation to revive the Toys "R" Us online platform in the United States, with Target overseeing toy selection and order fulfillment for domestic operations.
The first new physical store under this initiative opened on November 27, 2019. Nevertheless, both stores ceased operations by January 2021 due to ongoing financial challenges intensified by the COVID-19 crisis. Presently, Toys "R" Us continues its presence in the U.S. market as an e-commerce brand through a collaboration with Amazon.
In March 2021, WHP Global, a brand management entity, acquired a majority interest in Tru Kids and revealed intentions to relaunch Toys "R" Us outlets later that year. Plans included diverse formats such as airport shops, temporary pop-up stores, flagship locations, and smaller retail spaces within larger stores.
Official divisions
- Geoffrey's Toy Box – management of intellectual property
Acquisitions from Toys "R" Us, Inc.
- Toys "R" Us – brand identity and retail operations
- Babies "R" Us – branding and product offerings focused on infants