WHSmith is set to bring Toys R Us back to the UK in bricks and mortar this summer, opening nine shop-in-shops across the country.

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How the new Toys R Us Monks Cross shop-in-shop will look 

The first Toys R Us-branded shop-in-shop will open in the Monks Cross Shopping Park WHSmith store in York on June 10, with a further eight to follow in Canterbury, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Cwmbran, Oxford, Poole, Reading and Solihull.

The concessions will feature a life-sized Geoffrey the Giraffe 3D sculpture, a range of interactive experiences and demonstration tables with products laid out in sections based on age.

Each concession will feature brands including Barbie, Bluey, Lego, Star Wars and more.

Sean Toal, managing director for WHSmith’s high street division, said: “At WHSmith, we’re always exploring new opportunities to launch exciting new product ranges to our customers on the high street, and our partnership with Toys R Us certainly does this.

“The brand has long been known for its exceptional range of toys and games, and complements our existing offer well.

“Across each of the nine locations, we have a great team of colleagues who look forward to welcoming many new and existing customers over the coming weeks and showcasing the new store layout and, not forgetting, Geoffrey the Giraffe.”

The new bricks-and-mortar partnership follows the launch last year of Toys R Us’ ecommerce website in the UK.

The toy brand disappeared from UK high streets in 2018 when the company collapsed into administration and shut its 100 locations.