The Dufferin Mall Toys “R” Us is closing and it’s bumming parents out

Around the beginning of November, yellow sale signs began popping up on every shelf at the Toys “R” Us in Toronto’s janky-yet-beloved shopping centre, the Dufferin Mall. Shortly afterward, aisles of Nerf toys, Barbies and plastic tool sets began to thin out—right around the time most parents were starting their holiday shopping.

Even if customers somehow missed the massive liquidation signs declaring, “This store is closing!” beside the entrance, the gaps on the shelves send the message loud and clear: the store is not long for this world, slated to close in January of 2026.

The Dufferin Mall Toys “R” Us will join the list of over 38 locations in Canada to permanently shutter by the beginning of next year, and the company’s employees are unsure what the fate of their jobs will be.

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The closure caps off a turbulent two decades for the Canadian superstore that once ruled the toy kingdom. At one time, Toys “R” Us was the world’s largest toy retailer, a pre-internet fantasia that many millennials can recall in vivid detail. But, after plunging into massive debt at a time when giants like Amazon and Walmart began rewiring the retail market, it filed for bankruptcy in 2017. It survived and tried to reboot its image by opening experience-first flagship stores complete with play zones. But Canadian crowds never really rushed back.

Toronto parents who frequented the store are bummed about the closure. “I have fond memories of chasing my daughter, Finch, around that store when we weren’t at the mall to go toy shopping,” says marketing account manager Chris Ramelan. “It was impossible to go to the Dufferin Mall without going to the Toys “R” Us, which was all too conveniently placed next to the kids’ rides and Mrs. Fields cookies.”

“My kids and I are really sad about losing the space,” says Amil Niazi, a parenting columnist and mother of three. “Kids are so increasingly pushed toward devices and technology, and there are so few existing places that allow them to embrace play. One of my kids’ favourite things to do was go to the Dufferin Mall Toys “R” Us and touch and see the latest toys and daydream about their Christmas and birthday lists.”

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Others are less disappointed to bid the corporate entity adieu, believing the magic of Toys “R” Us has thinned over the years. “The vibe has curdled,” says IT specialist and parent Matthew Learoyd. “Toys “R” Us now is a far cry from the Toys “R” Us I remember from my youth. Other than car seats, I find everything in there to be pretty crappy. I tend to favour independent toy stores and buying used goods from Facebook Marketplace.”

While other specialty toy shops like Scooter Girl, Toy Terminal, Kol Kid and Mastermind Toys remain, there are fewer and fewer places in Toronto where children can express their semi-feral desire to push every sound-making button year-round. A big chain toy store may not be a crucial neighbourhood retailer, but it serves as a reminder that real-life portals of curiosity are crucial for kids and families.

What will become of the space after Toys “R” Us shuts down has yet to be determined. We reached out to the Dufferin Mall management team, who declined to comment. Parents can only hope it’s another 25,000-square-foot chaotic and colourful wonder world.