"Everyone wants to be a toy seller this time of year. There's no secret to that," said Toys R Us Inc. chairman and chief executive officer Jerry Storch, whose company is leading the charge with 600 new Toys R Us Express locations across the country.
Nearly two dozen of the temporary stores are in the Philadelphia area, including a second Center City site.
And Sears, more than a decade after eliminating toys, has added 79 new toy departments, building on the 20 it rolled out a year ago in selected markets - a test the company said had proved successful. Nine of the toy departments, with playthings meant for younger children, are in the eight-county Philadelphia region.
"We started getting more feedback from our consumers saying, 'Hey, it's time; bring toys back to Sears,' " said Julia Fitzgerald, chief marketing officer of toys and seasonal at Sears Holdings Corp.
This proliferation of toy-buying venues represents pushback against titans of mass retailing such as Target Corp., whose one-stop discount emporiums have tweezers, Barbies, potato chips, and motor oil available under one roof.
But it also fills the void left by retailers of all kinds that went out of business during the recession. The Toys R Us expansion strategy, in particular, capitalizes on the more-affordable rents at malls and strip shopping centers that have lost tenants. Landlords are willing to sign short-term leases at favorable prices.
Even formerly bankrupt Lionel Electric Trains has opened a temporary store at Cherry Hill Mall, one of just five nationwide, as part of the iconic train manufacturer's desire to elevate its profile among ordinary shoppers.
