Iconic Characters at Toys “R” Us Grand Opening in Barrhaven
Barrhaven’s newest store held its grand opening Sun., Oct. 15 with a little help from two iconic Sesame Street characters.
Toys “R” Us is now open in Barrhaven. It is one of 10 Toys “R” Us stores to open in Canada during the current expansion, as the number of locations in Canada has grown to 105.
Recently, Retail Council of Canada reported, 81% of Canadians will shop at brick-and-mortar retailers in their neighbourhood instead of purchasing their items online. This is almost double of what we saw in 2022 (41%). With an increase in Canadians going back to in-store shopping this holiday season, Toys“R”Us Canada is meeting this demand by opening eight Toys“R”Us locations, plus two stand alone Babies“R”Us locations in Edmonton.
“I believe the Canadian consumer is looking to get out and shop in-store again. I see such a strong opportunity to invest in Canadian retail. Our recent lease acquisitions allows us to re-enter markets we were previously in, reach markets where we don’t have a presence, or, where we see potential to meet a greater demand,” says Doug Putman, of Putman Investments.
To introduce each community to their new store, Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us Canada held grand opening celebrations October 13-15 with activities that included face-painting, balloon artists, and interactive toy demos, along with sales, giveaways and visits from characters like Bluey, Cocomelon, Peppa Pig, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the Care Bears.
“These openings couldn’t have come at a better time,” says, Nick Muriella, Vice President of Merchandising & Supply Chain. “Our team has been working hard to bring our customers the best offers on the most sought after toys and baby goods. We will be stocked with the must-have top toys of the season giving our customers an early start on that gift list.”
In addition to the Barrhaven store, Toys “R” Us also held grand openings in Burnaby, Kamloops, Edmonton (2 stores), Calgary (2 stores), Toronto, Lachenaie QC, and Halifax.
Features photos: Elmo and Cookie Monster were two of the many characters in Barrhaven for the Toys “R” Us grand opening. (Indigo Events Photography & Videography photo)
