# Toys R Us courts adults with nostalgia and wallets

> The toy retailer is banking on grown-up collectors who want childhood favorites, not children's gifts.
- Title: Toys R Us courts adults with nostalgia and wallets | Shortify
- Summary: The toy retailer is banking on grown-up collectors who want childhood favorites, not children's gifts. Toys R Us is rebuilding by targeting adult collectors…
- Keywords: toys r us, retail comeback, adult collectors, nostalgia marketing, toy sales, pokemon cards, lego, hot wheels, circana, go retail group, whp global, bankruptcy recovery
- Source: Dallas Express — https://dallasexpress.com/business-markets/nostalgia-has-a-receipt-toys-r-us-courts-the-adult-with-a-childhood-wishlist
- Author: Dallas Express
- Published: 2026-09-18T15:00:32+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: toys r us, retail comeback, adult collectors, nostalgia marketing, toy sales, pokemon cards, lego, hot wheels, circana, go retail group, whp global, bankruptcy recovery
## Toys R Us plans massive store expansion
The toy retailer announced plans to open 120 new U.S. stores by the holiday season, partnering with Austin-based Go Retail Group. This would grow its standalone footprint from 40 to 160 stores.
## How Toys R Us fell from grace
The company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 with $5 billion in debt from a 2005 leveraged buyout. It liquidated U.S. operations in 2018 as Amazon, Walmart and Target intensified competition.
## Adults now drive toy market growth
U.S. toy sales for adults ages 18 and older reached $1.8 billion in early 2025, up 12% year-over-year. Adults became both the fastest-growing and highest-spending age group in the toy market.
## Pokemon cards lead the collecting boom
Pokemon, One Piece, NFL and MLB trading cards drove early 2025 growth. A March 2025 survey found 19% of adults bought Pokemon cards for themselves in the prior six months, with most collecting rather than playing.
## Nostalgia anchors people to their past
A study in the journal Emotion found that nostalgia strengthened people's sense of connection between past and present by increasing feelings of belonging and acceptance. This continuity supported feelings of vitality.

> nostalgia strengthened people's sense of connection between their past and present by increasing feelings of belonging and acceptance
## Tangible objects beat digital overload
A 2025 randomized study found that blocking mobile internet for two weeks improved sustained attention, mental health and well-being. Building sets and card games offer an alternative to endless scrolling.
## Stores now cater to collectors, not just kids
Toys R Us is stocking LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Pokemon while adding cafes, candy shops and Creator Studios. Collectors are now customers in their own right, returning beyond holidays.
## Gen Z drives global collecting trend
In Britain, 76% of Gen Z adults ages 18 to 28 bought toys for themselves or another adult in 2025. Across 12 countries tracked by Circana, collectible sales climbed 32% in 2025.
## Key takeaway

Toys R Us is rebuilding by targeting adult collectors rather than just parents, tapping into a $1.8 billion market of nostalgia-driven purchases.