Toys "R" Us is closing its store on Dunlap Avenue near Phoenix's Metrocenter Mall and opening a new location in north Phoenix that puts the toy store under one roof with the company's Babies "R" Us brand.
The new store at 245 E. Bell Road will have its grand opening Sept. 9-11 with a sale, giveaways, activities for kids and visits from popular children's characters.
Toys "R" Us says it has converted more than 100 U.S. stores to this new "side-by-side" format since 2006, opening the first brand-new combo locations in 2010.
The closure of the Dunlap store is just another gaping hole in and around Metrocenter: Atomic Comics on the outer loop closed last week, and the mall itself has one and a half empty anchor spots in addition to numerous external vacancies like the former Best Buy location.
