GUILDERLAND — A familiar face from childhood has moved into Macy’s in Crossgates Mall.
Geoffrey the Giraffe is now a permanent resident at Macy’s, representing the Toys ‘R’ Us brand that recently paired with the giant store chain. Macy’s announced the partnership in July, committing to introduce toys under the former toy chain umbrella as an in-store shop within their flagship locations throughout the country.
Albany joins other locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco, featuring the Toys ‘R’ Us brand on floor spaces that range in size from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet.
According to a statement from Macy’s headquarters in New York City, the rolling out will continue to run through October 15, ahead of the holiday shopping season.
“Macy’s cannot wait to bring the Toys ‘R’ Us experience to life in our stores,” said Nata Dvir, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. “We hope Toys ‘R’ Us kids of all ages discover the joy of exploration and play within our shops and families create special memories together. The customer response to our partnership with Toys ‘R’ Us has been incredible and our toy business has seen tremendous growth.”
The Toys ‘R’ Us brand will come to life in-store with playful colored fixtures as well as hands-on demonstration tables for customers to interact with various toy assortments. The Toys ‘R’ Us shops will also feature a life-size “Geoffrey on a Bench” photo opportunity for families.
To celebrate the openings, all Macy’s stores will host nine days of in-store events, beginning October 15 through October 23, which will include family-friendly activities and daily giveaways from brands like Barbie, LEGO and more.
Since last August, Macy’s customers have shopped the expansive assortment of Toys ‘R’ Us products online exclusively at macys.com/toysrus and ToysRUs.com, powered by Macy’s digital and fulfillment ecosystem. In Macy’s reported earnings for the first quarter of 2022, toy sales were fifteen times higher than the comparable period prior to the Toys ‘R’ Us partnership.
For more than 70 years, Toys ‘R’ Us has been a global leader in the toy category celebrating the joys of childhood and play with kids of all ages. Geoffrey the Giraffe, the beloved mascot of Toys ‘R’ Us, is adored by millions of kids and their families around the world. This brand power remains as Toys ‘R’ Us generates more than $2 billion in global retail sales annually through 900 branded stores and e-commerce businesses in more than 25 countries. In March 2021, WHP Global, a leading brand management firm with a portfolio of consumer brands that generate USD$4.5 billion in retail sales, acquired the Toys ‘R’ Us brand.
