• Toy Talk
  • Posts
  • Toys 'R' Us Rebuilds Shelf Power Nationwide

Toys 'R' Us Rebuilds Shelf Power Nationwide

Plus: Magic maps a crossover-heavy 2026

Author

Avinash Duggempudi
October 01, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Toy Talk

Here's what's happening this week in the world of toys and games marketing:
- Toys ‘R’ Us adds flagships and holiday shops.
- Best Toy Forever launches in North America.
- Magic outlines a collab-packed 2026 roadmap.
- Hasbro primes NYCC exclusives and fanstreams.
- LEGO times October drops with promo windows.

⏱️THE MINUTE READ

Juvenon suspected upper-funnel spend were fueling growth, but pixel reporting undervalued them, pushing spend to the bottom funnel.

With Fospha’s Halo, they unified DTC and Amazon sales and uncovered the truth: TikTok was 9X stronger than reported, DTC performance was under-credited by 2.9X, and upper funnel became their growth engine.

  • 📈 +18% revenue growth QoQ

  • 📉 20% CAC improvement YoY

  • 🚀 10X upper-funnel SoW growth

📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

Toys “R” Us will open 10 new flagships and 20 seasonal holiday shops by the end of 2025, with additional stores planned on U.S. military bases and continued presence inside Macy’s. The move expands premium shelf space and experiential discovery zones ahead of peak season. Brands and retail teams gain new in-store activation opportunities across malls, department stores, and base communities.

Best Toy Forever debuts in North America under industry veteran Michael Ciminera, with plans to release 170-plus toys across eight brands in 2026. The emphasis on affordable TPR products positions BTF to compete in impulse, collectibles, and novelty segments. Mass and specialty buyers, distributors, and licensing teams should expect a new price-value player with seasoned leadership.

At MagicCon: Atlanta, Wizards detailed a year-long slate: Final Fantasy this year, Lorwyn Eclipsed in January, Secrets of Strixhaven in April, Marvel in June, The Hobbit in August, Reality Fractured in October, and a Star Trek 60th anniversary set in November, plus new Theme Decks and Draft Night kits. The roadmap enables long-range merchandising, event programming, and creator partnerships across hobby and mass. Retailers, licensors, and the creator economy get predictable beats to plan drops, preorders, and community play.

Ahead of the Nov. 26 release, Disney Consumer Products rolls out a multi-partner program spanning Jazwares, Funko, Pop Mart, Ray-Ban, Chronicle Books, and more, with an October “Sssurprise Week” to fuel momentum. This is a cross-category shelf moment primed for mystery boxes, collectibles, plush, Squishmallows, and reading. Entertainment, toy, and fashion partners can synchronize content, retail storytelling, and influencer-led reveals into Thanksgiving week.

⚡QUICK READS

Hasbro Bringing Fan-Favorite Brands To New York Comic Con 2025: NYCC exclusives, panels, and a Hasbro Pulse fanstream create time-bound hype cycles that convert FOMO into preorders across Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Marvel, and more.(More)

See Inside: Jellycat Opens Permanent Chicago Location: Jellycat’s Nordstrom Michigan Avenue shop-in-shop adds an exclusive Carrot Cake plush, signaling premium experiential retail to monetize scarcity-led demand.(More)

Here Are The 15 New LEGO Sets Releasing In October 2025: LEGO’s October wave, GWPs, and probable points promos cluster demand around the $999 UCS Death Star, tightening ad bid windows and bundling strategies.(More)

Tricks, Treats, & Toys: 16 New Halloween-Inspired Picks: Seasonal assortments across horror IP games, collectibles, and builds expand late-September AOV and offer easy hooks for social-led merchandising.(More)

ClickZ is a ClickZ Media publication in the DTC eCommerce division