In the toy world, one of the biggest happenings of fall is the arrival of Toy City. Launching now alongside Halloween City pop-ups in around 50 cities (I revealed the store list exclusively last week), this is Party City‘s big foray into filling the seasonal gap left behind following the collapse of Toys “R” Us this year. There’ve been many questions from both consumers and industry players alike, and as I mentioned in my recent feature at The Toy Book, the launch of Toy City was a hot topic during the Future of Toy Retail panel that I took part in at San Diego Comic-Con. So what will these stores look like? The Toy Insider‘s Jackie Breyer gives us a tour in this new video showcasing a Toy City location in the former Toys “R” Us in Rockaway, New Jersey. Check it out…
Indeed, the season is starting off with some well-stocked stores featuring three main aisles of toys, very much akin to how the Toys “R” Us Express seasonal pop-ups once operated. And yes, for those with a keen eye – those actually are the same wire shelving units from those Express stores, with Party City having acquired those during the TRU liquidation process.
As these are seasonal, there’s a strong emphasis on product meant for holiday gifting – ideally stuff that will move fast alongside a lot of impulse items. Personally, I have not seen the pricing yet, so I can’t report on that aspect, but that’s one of the key points of concern that I’ve had since these stores were announced.
Do you have a Toy City near you? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a comment or hit me up on twitter @TheRockFather with your thoughts after visiting the store.
