Revamped Paramus Toys 'R' Us Ready By Black Friday: Report

PARAMUS, NJ – Toys 'R' Us will return to Paramus just in time for the holiday season.

As part of the defunct toy chain’s comeback, a smaller, revamped store will open in Westfield Garden State Plaza ahead of Black Friday, CNN.com reported.

An exact opening date has not yet been announced for the new "experiential" store, which, at 6,500 square feet, will be a fraction of the chain’s former big box locations that were previously located in the borough. A second Toys 'R' Us store will also open this month at The Galleria in Houston, Texas.

The new stores, which were announced in July, would be the first of six that chain aims to open by Christmas. Not many details were unveiled at the time, but Toys 'R' Us said the smaller format stores would include interactive play spaces and interactive displays to learn more about products.

More of what to expect was revealed by Richard Barry, president and CEO of Toys "R" Us parent company, Tru Kids, during an interview with CNN Business.

Some noteworthy features include “a huge treehouse in the middle of the store that kids will be able to climb into” and “an event space for movies in the store,” Barry told CNN.

“We know that customers love shopping as a means of entertainment,” Barry told the media outlet. “…We know parents and families really value play and the value of toys overall. As we thought about the strategy, we wanted to put all those things together.”

While there will be fewer products on the shelves, the chain said sales associates will help shoppers complete sales transactions via Target.com for items not available in the store.

In October, Toys 'R' Us relaunched its website with games, action figures, a full section of toys, product reviews and videos. Since the inventory comes from Target, shoppers are directed to buy button at Target.com to complete the purchase.

Customers will be able to take advantage of Target.com benefits including free two-day shipping, same-day curbside or store order pickup, same-day delivery with Shipt, Target Circle loyalty benefits, easy in-store returns and 5 percent off when using a Target REDcard.

With Target's same-day pick-up and delivery options, Toys 'R' Us customers also will be able to get their online purchases ready for pickup or delivery to most U.S. households in as soon as an hour.

Given the competition retail faces from online competitors, more and more stores are closing. It has forced the retail industry to try and find new ways to keep coming in.

At American Dream, the newly-opened Meadowlands megamall, the makeup is more entertainment than shopping– 55% to 45%. Right now, the mall’s NHL-sized ice rink and Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park are open. Other attractions – which include a waterpark and indoor ski spark – along with shopping and dining will follow over the next several months.

Toys 'R' Us, buckling under pressure from Amazon and several billions of dollars of debt, liquidated its stores after filing for Chapter 11 reorganization in 2017.

Several Toys 'R' Us executives founded Tru Kids in January and are now managing the Toys R Us, Babies R Us and Geoffrey brands.