Toys "R" Us has opened a standalone store inside Katy Mills Mall, part of a 120-store national expansion ahead of the holiday season.

The Katy Mills location is one of the new standalone stores the retailer is opening across the country, Katy Magazine reported on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The store is separate from the smaller Toys "R" Us pop-up shops that Houston-area shoppers may have seen inside Macy's locations.

The national expansion, announced in a company press release on Sept. 17, will bring the total number of standalone Toys "R" Us stores from 40 to 160 by the holiday season. The brand also operates shops inside about 400 Macy's stores nationwide.

Austin-based Go! Retail Group, a family-owned company that specializes in seasonal and pop-up retail, is running the expansion. Toys "R" Us is owned by WHP Global, a brand management firm. The retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed its U.S. stores before returning through partnerships, including shops inside Macy's.

The store is open now. But how long it stays is unclear. Alex Winkelman, Go! Retail Group's executive vice president of business development, told Marketing Daily in a Sept. 22 email that the stores "will be open through the holidays and many well into 2027." She did not confirm how many of the 120 locations would remain open permanently.

The Katy Mills store carries brands including LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon and KPop Demon Hunters, along with collectibles. Select locations nationally will feature Creator Studios, candy shops and cafés, though it is not confirmed whether the Katy Mills store includes those amenities.

The opening comes during a strong stretch for the toy industry. U.S. toy sales rose 17% during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to research firm Circana. That marked the industry's strongest first-half performance in six years.

Adult buyers are driving a growing share of that spending. Adult-only households accounted for 55% of toy-industry receipts through June, according to Circana data cited by ConsumerAffairs. Sales to adults rose 25% in the first half of 2026. Sales to teens jumped 33%.

Shoppers can find the Katy Mills location and other stores through the Toys "R" Us store locator on the company's website.