Toys R Us Continues Comeback With New Standalone Store In Suburbs

AURORA, IL — Years after closing all of its locations, the "king of toy stores" is making a comeback, and it's opening a 13,000-square-foot store in the suburbs.

A new Toys "R" Us store will open Sept. 20 at Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora.

Guests can meet Geoffrey the Giraffe and enjoy in-store activities including face painting and balloon twisting during a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the mall, 1650 Premium Outlet Boulevard.

The first 25 guests to visit the store will receive a full-sized Snoozimal plush toy, and the first 75 will get swag bags.

Dubbing the store a "playground for the imaginations of kids of all ages," Chicago Premium Outlets invited visitors to "Come try out the newest and hottest items or your favorite classics."

The new store is a comeback for Toys "R" Us, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 2017. A year later, the toy chain permanently closed all of its remaining U.S. locations. In 2022, multiple Toys "R" Us locations opened up inside Macy's stores in Illinois and other states.

Toys "R" Us already operates flagship stores at Mall of America in Minnesota and American Dream Mall in New Jersey, and has a standalone location at Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge.