Iconic 90s shop returns to more high streets TODAY – see the full list of locations and if one’s near you

AN ICONIC ’90s shop is making a grand return to the high street today as it gradually reopens this year.

Three branches will open their doors today, with a further 14 planned within weeks.

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A total of 30 stores will be up and running by August, bosses confirmed to The Sun.

Toys R Us initially vanished from the UK in 2018 after falling into administration.

The retailer was a beloved part of many Brits’ childhoods before being wound up, leaving more than 2,000 workers redundant.

Last year, though, parent company WHSmith successfully relaunched the brand.

It feels like a back to the future moment

Sean ToalHigh Street Managing Director, WHSmith

It opened nine locations in 2023 and is targeting almost double that number this year.

The process began in York with a location popping back up in the Monks Cross Retail Park in June.

Since then, branches have been added in Oxford, Chelmsford, Solihull and Cwmbran among others.

Now, three new sites will open today in Hereford, Leamington Spa and Leicester.

However, they will look different to how most might remember them, as Toys R Us will no long be a standalone brand.

Instead, the company will operate stores-in-stores under the WHSmith banner.

Toys R Us sections will be incorporated into existing Smith’s shops.

Each new area is set to include a demonstration area where customers can try out products before buying them.

If you like what you see, you can then just take it to the WHSmith till to pay just as if it were a book, bottle of water or copy of The Sun.

Sean Toal, high street managing director at WHSmith, said: “After five years, we were very proud to help bring the beloved toy brand back to the UK’s high streets with the launch of nine shop-in-shops inside WHSmith.

“Every time I’ve been out visiting these stores since, I have seen first-hand how positively our customers have responded to the new ranges.

“Many tell me it feels like a back to the future moment – a brand they had known and loved since the mid-80s which is back to deliver the magic to a whole new generation of families.”

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