Toys R Us is set to close two stores in Arkansas, including its baby-themed outlet in the state's capital city, according to bankruptcy court records.
The Babies R Us at 2616 S. Shackleford Road in Little Rock and a Toys R Us at 5609 E. Rogers Ave. in Fort Smith are among about 180 stores listed in a filing Tuesday.
Lease terms were originally set to end in January 2023 in Little Rock and in January 2020 in Fort Smith. Both stores are leased by Toys R Us Delaware Inc.
Store closures across the U.S. are set to begin in early February, according to a company statement. The majority of those locations are expected be shuttered in mid-April.
The company filed for bankruptcy in September, joining dozens of other store chains that did so last year as online shopping increasingly becomes the means for buying, The Associated Press reported.
Toys R Us CEO Dave Brandon said in a statement Tuesday that the closures are necessary to reemerge as a “more viable and competitive company.”
“The reinvention of our brands requires that we make tough decisions about our priorities and focus,” Brandon said.
With the announced closures, Toys R Us still has namesake locations in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Fayetteville.
Some outlets will also be converted into co-branded Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores, the company said. It was not immediately clear whether conversions were set at any of the remaining Arkansas locations.