Toys "R" Us Australia

Toys "R" Us Australia was founded in 1993 and went into administration in 2018 following its parent's bankruptcy, before closing down after failing to find a buyer.[1] Hobby Warehouse reopened it as an online store at present after acquiring the franchise from it in 2019. Toys"R"Us ANZ (then called Funtastic Limited) acquired it in 2021. It too fell into voluntary administration in 2025, and was taken over by Directed Electronics Australia.

History

Toys "R" Us came to Australia in March 1993. The company, hoping to destroy the toy sector, reportedly almost never made a profit, compounded by native, more ever-present competitors with more general merchandise, such as Kmart Australia, as well as a lack of overall spending on toys in the country compared to other countries it previously entered. It did win competition with the short-lived clone World 4 Kids of Kmart's owner Coles Myer who was experimenting with a few chains at the time.[2][3]

The Australian wing of Toys "R" Us finally entered voluntary administration on May 22, 2018, following its parent's bankruptcy, appointing administrators from McGrathNicol.[4][5] On June 20, it was announced that all of their Australian stores would be closing as well.[6][7] The closure of all 44 stores was concluded on August 5, 2018.[8]

On June 5, 2019, Toys "R" Us returned in Australia when Tru Kids partnered with Hobby Warehouse to relaunch the website for the chain.[9] In 2023, they announced that Toys "R" Us would return to Australia.[10] Hobby Warehouse and Toys "R" Us were acquired by Funtastic in 2021, who changed their name to Toys"R"Us ANZ.

In 2024 Toys "R" Us acquired Riot Art & Craft.[11] Riot previously made headlines by suddenly going into creditors voluntary liquidation in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, immediately closing all its 56 bricks-and-mortar stores and sacking its 300 workers by text message (passing them to the liquidator), not before selling its website to a 'related company', initially sparking fears of director or practitioner misconduct.[12][13]

On 5 June 2025, following years of losses, the company placed itself into voluntary administration as well, telling the Australian Securities Exchange "that the company is, or is likely to become, insolvent". They appointed BDO as administrators.[5]

On 31 July 2025, the company was taken over by Directed Electronics Australia in a deed of company arrangement and removed from the ASX.[14]

External links

• Babies "R" Us website
• Hobby Warehouse website
• RIOT website