CLOSURE: Massive chain store shuts location down in Mississauga

One of Mississauga’s biggest toy stores will close soon.

The Toys “R” Us location at 4559 Hurontario St. in Mississauga is permanently closing.

A store staff member confirmed the location is closing for good but couldn’t say when the final day would be. There are signs posted at the store and closing sales have started.

Toys “R” Us has been in the Hurontario location since at least the early 1990s. The Toys R Us brand launched in 1948 in the U.S. and locations opened in Canada in 1984, according to the store’s website.

Many residents expressed sadness about the closure in a post on Reddit.

“It’s sad to see it go out of business after being there for so many years,” the poster wrote on Reddit. 

“Nooooo. I even bought some stuff there a few times recently because I wanted to help support them and help keep them open. My childhood hurts,” another person said.

Toys “R” US has struggled as online shopping increases across the globe.

The U.S. part of the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 and it mostly operates through shops within Macy’s department stores now.

Toys “R” Us Canada — a separate entity — sought creditor protection around the same time as the U.S. business. It was eventually sold to Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. for $300 million and is now owned by Putman Investments, which is behind Everest Toys, Sunrise Records and HMV.

Earlier this year, pop-up HMV stores opened inside Toys “R” Us locations including the stores in Mississauga.

For those who will miss the Hurontario store, there are Toy “R” Us locations at 3150 Argentia Rd., and near Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke at 690 Evans Rd.

With files from the Canadian Press