The final chapter for Toys "R" Us in British Columbia has been written, as the province's last remaining store closed its doors for good this week in an abrupt and financially driven shutdown.
Sudden Shutdown at Willowbrook Mall
The Langley Toys "R" Us location at Willowbrook Shopping Centre was suddenly closed on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. A notice posted on the front door revealed the closure was due to the retailer defaulting on its lease, with nearly $100,000 in unpaid bills. The notice, issued by mall owner QuadReal Property Group, detailed outstanding costs for rent, property taxes, GST, and other fees totalling $98,337.59.
The store was ordered to vacate the premises by January 16 and return all keys and security access cards. By the time Postmedia visited, the store was closed and the notice had been removed. QuadReal confirmed the closure in an email but declined to provide further details.
A Retail Empire's Long Decline
The Langley closure marks the end of an era in B.C., following the shuttering of all other provincial locations in 2025. Stores in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, and Victoria had already closed their doors.
This is part of a dramatic nationwide contraction for the once-dominant toy retailer. After billionaire Doug Putman expanded Canadian operations to 103 stores, at least 38 locations across the country closed in 2025 alone, leaving just 40 remaining. As of last November, a dozen of those remaining stores were seeking new owners.
Retail expert David Ian Gray, an advisor and instructor at Capilano School of Business, explained the challenging landscape. "It's been a tough business for toy stores, just in general, because there's so much availability of supply," Gray said. He cited the rise of online shopping, direct-to-consumer sales by prestige brands, and competition from big-box stores like Walmart where parents can shop for toys alongside other groceries and goods.
The Fall of a Category Killer
Founded in 1957 by Charles Lazarus and expanding into Canada with a Brampton, Ontario, location in 1984, Toys "R" Us was a pioneer of the big-box model. It became a landmark for generations of children but ultimately struggled to compete with giants like Walmart and Amazon.
The chain's decline accelerated after its U.S. parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2017. Canadian assets were subsequently purchased by Toronto's Fairfax Financial Holdings for approximately $300 million. Entrepreneur Doug Putman, known for converting HMV stores into Sunrise Records, then bought 81 Toys "R" Us Canada stores in 2021 for an undisclosed sum in an attempt to revive the brand.
The closure of the Langley store signifies more than just another retail vacancy. It represents the poignant end of a major retail chapter in British Columbia, underscoring the profound shifts in consumer behaviour and the intense competitive pressures facing traditional brick-and-mortar stores in the modern economy.
