Struggling retailer Toys ‘R’ Us to shutter Transcona store

Playtime is almost over at the Toys “R” Us store in Winnipeg’s Transcona neighbourhood.

Signs hanging in the front windows indicate the longtime big-box chain outlet is closing. “All stock reduced” and “Everything must go” at the store, which has stood at 1560 Regent Ave. W. for more than 36 years. Even the fixtures are for sale.

An employee at the store declined to comment on Monday, directing the Free Press to Toys “R” Us Canada Ltd.’s head office. The company did not respond to interview requests.

Signage at the store does not specify when it will close for good.

It’s the latest local development for the beleaguered retailer, which announced in January it would close its Polo Park location, only to reverse course a few weeks later.

On Monday, an “open for business” sign hung in the window of that store, located at 1445 St. Matthews Ave. An employee reiterated it was not closing.

Toys “R” Us Canada has been in creditor protection since February. A numbered company, which operates as Putman Investments, owns the retailer. Putman Investments also runs the Northern Reflections, HMV, Sunshine Records, Ricki’s and Cleo brands.

Located across the street from Kildonan Place shopping centre, the Transcona-area Toys “R” Us was renovated last year to add PlayLab, a three-level indoor play structure and party space.

Linda Specht did not know the store was closing until she arrived on Monday with her two-year-old granddaughter for their biweekly playdate at PlayLab.

“It’s not good news,” said Specht, 72. “PlayLab is very popular with all the children that come … It’s a very sad day.”

The store was also a go-to place for Specht when she needed something for her granddaughter. “We used to come here and get some nice toys, (from) her baby clothes right up to bikes and other items in between.”

Meantime, MC Laureano said she was surprised to learn Toys “R” Us still had stores in Winnipeg when she received a gift recently for her five-month-old son that was purchased at the Transcona location. She stopped in on Monday to exchange the gift.

“It’s kind of how retail is going: a lot of brick-and-mortar stores are closing,” said Laureano, 39, adding Toys “R” Us is “iconic.”

“It’s always sad when a store closes because it means that people lose jobs. I feel for the employees.”

Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1957, Toys “R” Us expanded into Canada in the 1980s. The Transcona and Polo Park stores opened in the fall of 1989. The crumbling chain once had more than 100 stores across the country; today, around 15 remain.

Although Toys “R” Us is suffering, toy sales are up around the world, according to Circana. The market research company reported in 2025, toy sales in Canada exceeded $2.6 billion — a 14 per cent increase over the previous year.

Data collected by the Canadian Toy Association shows the number of hobby and toy store businesses in Canada grew to approximately 4,100 last year from 3,500 in 2020.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca