Toys "R" Us Canada
A Toys "R" Us store in Richmond Hill, in 2018 | |
| Toys "R" Us Canada | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Concord (Vaughan), Ontario, Canada |
Number of locations | 21 |
Area served | Canada |
| Products |
|
| Brands | HMV Canada (2024–present) |
Number of employees | 510 [1] |
| Parent | Toys "R" Us, Inc. (1984-2018) Fairfax Financial (2018-2021) Putman Investments (2021-present) |
| Divisions |
HMV Canada 2024–present |
| Website | www |
Toys "R" Us (Canada) Ltd. is a Canadian chain of toy stores. It was founded by the Canadian franchise of U.S. toy retail chain Toys "R" Us; as of 2018, however, it operates independently and is based in Concord, Ontario, serving locations throughout Canada.
It was owned by its American parent company from 1984 to 2018.
History
In September 2017, Toys "R" Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and closed all U.S. locations in June 2018.[2] Toys "R" Us pursued a sale of the Canadian division, including the possibility of bundling them with top-performing U.S. stores. The Canadian unit had annual sales of $1.08 billion at the time of the filing, and had to file for protection from its creditors due to the default of its U.S.-based businesses.[3]
In April 2018, it was announced that Fairfax Financial would acquire the 82 Toys "R" Us locations in Canada for $300 million, with the stores continuing to use the Toys "R" Us name.[4][5] A couple of months later, the first Canadian store to close was in Richmond Hill, Ontario. In 2021, Sunrise Records owner Doug Putman, through his Putman Investments, announced he would buy Toys "R" Us Canada (which now comprised 81 locations) from Fairfax Financial.[6]
In January 2024, the chain announced that it would revive the HMV brand in Canada (which Putman had acquired via Sunrise in 2019)[7] as a store-within-a-store concept at Toys "R" Us Canada locations, stocking music, home video, and memorabilia such as books and clothing. The departments began to launch at selected locations in the Greater Toronto Area, and were expected to be deployed at other locations throughout the year.[8]
In 2025, landlords have filed lawsuits for over 31.8 million Canadian dollars in damages and unpaid rent. Toys "R" Us Canada has shut down over 19 stores across Canada, leaving only 22 Canadian stores to remain open exclusively throughout eastern Canada. All of the Toys "R" Us locations in British Columbia and Saskatchewan have shut down, and only one remains in Quebec.
On February 3, 2026, Toys "R" Us Canada filed for creditor protection.[9] All Toys "R" Us stores will remain open during this process. Toronto court records show several parties, including landlords and suppliers, have filed more than 20 lawsuits seeking millions of dollars against the Canadian chain of toy stores over property, mortgage, contract and debt disagreements in the past two years. The claims have not been tested in court. Toys "R" Us currently owes at least $120 million to its vendors[9] and $31.3 million in unpaid rent and other damages to landlords.[10]
References
- ^ Toys ‘R’ Us Canada gets extended creditor reprieve as it eyes further closures
- ^ Bhattarai, Abha (March 14, 2018). "Toys R Us to close all 800 of its U.S. stores". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
- ^ "'Multiple' suitors line up with offers for Toys 'R' Us Canada". financialpost. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
- ^ Reyes, Anthony (June 29, 2018). "No need to grow up, you can still be a "Toys 'R' Us Kid" in Canada". WKBW. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Fairfax agrees $300 million deal to keep Toys 'R' Us Canada open". financialpost. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
- ^ Toneguzzi, Mario (2021-08-19). "Toys R Us Canada Sold to Sunrise Records Owner: Interview with Doug Putman". Retail Insider. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
- ^ Monaghan, Angela; Butler, Sarah (5 February 2019). "HMV reveals which 27 stores have closed after sale to Canadian music boss". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "HMV making comeback through Toys 'R' Us locations". CTVNews. 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ a b The Canadian Press (2026-02-03). "Toys 'R' Us Canada files for creditor protection". CBC. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
- ^ Deschamp, Tara (2026-01-22). "Trouble in toyland: Toys 'R' Us Canada facing suits seeking millions in unpaid rent". North Shore News. Retrieved 2026-02-03.