The return of Toys R Us and Bed Bath & Beyond stores demonstrates physical retail’s enduring allure

The trend: Two major retailers that filed for bankruptcy and shuttered hundreds of stores are making a brick-and-mortar comeback.

• Bed Bath & Beyond is partnering with Kirkland’s to open five roughly 15,000-square-foot stores next year in an initial pilot. The small-format shops—which are about half the size of the average Bed Bath & Beyond store prior to the company’s bankruptcy—will feature a curated assortment of goods that are “true to what the customer expects from Bed Bath & Beyond,” while also stocking some of Kirkland’s seasonal home decor, said Kirkland’s CEO Amy Sullivan, according to the Washington Post.
• Toys R Us is opening a 10,000-square-foot store at a shopping center in Norridge, Illinois, just outside of Chicago this weekend. The store is about a quarter of the size of the brand’s typical store prior to the company’s bankruptcy, and is designed to be a “modern retail concept” featuring immersive shopping experiences centered around brands such as LEGO, Barbie, and Hot Wheels. It joins Toys R Us stores at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and a location inside the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.