KB Toys may be returning from the dead, to retake their place as one of the major player in the toy world. KB Toys (AKA Kay Bee Toys) was well known for it’s numerous locations inside Malls and Shopping Centers throughout the country. At their height, they were one of the most popular destinations for kids and collectors, garnering numerous exclusives from various toy companies over the years. In the early 2000’s, KB struggled with multiple bankruptcy filings, and eventually closed up shop in 2009. The brand assets were sold to Toys R Us.
Over the weekend, a new post on LinkedIn announced that Strategic Marks, LLC was planning on reviving the defunct toy company, with the goal to have new stores opened by Christmas. Right now it’s mainly just talk from a firm that specializes in reviving “retro” brands. But, should this pick up steam, it could fill in a much needed hole in the toy world. Here’s a snippet from the article:
“Our umbrella, Strategic Marks, LLC has been very successful bringing back many of the most popular products and companies over the last ten years because we follow a very strict formula; [To bring back the experiences we loved as a child, just as you remembered them]. With #kbtoys, we had to also look at why they initially failed and to make sure those mistakes won’t be made again. Now, with the closing of @toysrus so quickly, it caught us by surprise so we’ve spent the last few days with our team and leaders in the toy industry to figure out how we can accelerate the project so our stores can open for the Christmas season. When we’re ready, you will be very happy with the results and we believe our model can withstand both on-line as well as other large competitors for not only the short-term but long-term as well.”
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