Toys 'R' Us May Come Back In California In Surprise Move

CALIFORNIA — Toys R Us could be making a comeback after closing all of its stores in California and across the country, according to several reports.

The retailer filed court papers this week that cancelled a bankruptcy auction with the goal of creating "a newly-established, independent U.S. business, including, without limitation, expected expansion of employment.

The company felt that its bids in the auction were insufficient and "were not reasonably likely to yield a superior alternative," according to records filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for The Eastern District of Virginia.

The company posted a message on its Twitter page saying to, "stay tuned here for news and information on the next chapter for Geoffrey and the iconic Toys R Us brands. #TRUBeContinued"

The move comes months after thousands of Toys R Us workers lost their jobs when stores throughout California and the United States finally closed after a year-long battle to keep them open.

The New Jersey-based Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in September amid slumping sales and mounting debt, which grew to about $5 billion. The once-popular chain faced increasing competition from Amazon, Walmart and Target. The chain was initially set to close about 180 of its stores, or about 20 percent.

Here are the Toys R Us stores that closed in California in 2018:

• Brea, 2575 E. Imperial Highway
• Brentwood, 5461 Lone Tree Way
• Corona, 3665 Grand Oaks CA
• Covina, 960 Lakes Drive
• Emeryville, 3938 Horton
• Fairfield, 1400 Gateway Blvd.
• Folsom, 2785 E. Bidwell St.
• Fresno, 3520 W. Shaw Ave.
• Indio, 42500 Jackson St.
• Mira Mesa, 8181 Mira Mesa Blvd.
• Mission Bay, 1240 W. Morena Blvd.
• Pinole, 1330 Fitzgerald
• Pittsburg, 4505 Century Blvd.
• Puente Hills, 1600 S. Azusa Ave.
• Riverside, 2550 Canyon Springs Pkwy S.
• San Jose, 2179 Monterey Hwy.
• San Jose, 865 Blossom Hill Road
• San Rafael, 600 Francisco Blvd.
• Santa Ana, 3900 Bristol St.
• Santa Clarita, 26573 Carl Boyer Dr.
• Simi Valley, 1189 Simi Town Ctr Way
• Stockton, 10640 Trinity Pkwy.
• Torrance, 20120 Hawthorne Blvd.
• Union City, 31250 Court House Drive
• Vista, 1990 University Drive
• Westminster, 530 Westminster Mall
• Yuba City, 700 "A" Onstott Rd.

Previous:

• Who May Replace Closed 'Toys R Us' Locations In CA
• Toys R Us Will Sell Or Close Remaining CA Stores: Report
• CA Toys R Us, Babies R Us Closing Sale On Now: Everything Must Go

With reporting by Dan Hubbard, Kara Seymour, Bea Karnes and Eric Heyl, Patch Staff
Photo: Getty Images