Vancouver’s two Toys R Us stores will remain open for business — even after the financial batteries run out at all its sister stores in the United Kingdom and United States, the company says.
Clint Gaudry, the vice-president of marketing and store planning for the Canadian branch of the company, said Wednesday that none of the 82 Toys R Us stores in Canada will be closed.
This includes a store on Broadway and another on the North Shore.
What’s giving Canadian shoppers, and employees, hope is that California-based MGA Entertainment Inc. is making a bid to buy the Canadian stores.
“Toys R Us Canada is a good business,” said MGA CEO Isaac Larian in an emailed statement. “They run it efficiently, and have good leadership. At the right price, it makes economical sense.”
MGA owns L.O.L. Surprise!, Little Tikes and Num Nom brands.
On Tuesday, the company announced that all 75 stores in the U.K. are closing. This comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Toys R Us is liquidating its U.S. operations. The U.S. branch of the company that once dominated the children’s retail landscape had filed for bankruptcy last September.
The Canadian branch says it will honour all of its existing programs and gift cards.
