After being out of the retail scene over the past year Toys R Us is back in business, with the first store of its relaunch now open at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, according to an online article on Syracuse.com. But the new store is no longer just a big box warehouse, as the chain now sports a different business model and will incorporate loads of new technology.
The New Jersey store and another opening this month in Houston have dozens of sensors installed by retail company b8ta, one of the partners on the Toys R Us relaunch, the article said quoting a CNBC report. The sensors will monitor how customers are moving around the store and watch what areas attract the most activity. The sensors will provide instant feedback on how various sections of the store are performing and which merchandise is moving.
Quoting Business Insider, the article also noted that Toys R Us is not actually making any direct money from toy sales, with any sales revenue generated at the stores going straight to the toy brands. Instead, the new Toys R Us makes its money from fees those brands pay to sell their stuff in the new stores, article quoted Business Insider as saying.
The article also noted that online sales for the relaunched Toys R Us are being handled by a partner, Target.
In another departure from the previous big box store concept, the new stores are smaller and include lots of places for kids to play with toys on display and try them out. According to the article, the New Jersey store also features several boutiques focused on specific popular brands like Lego, Nintendo, Nerf and Paw Patrol.
Quoting Business Insider, the article said at least ten Toys R Us stores will be open by the end of 2020.