KB Toys

KB Toys (stylized K·B Toys; Kay Bee Toys prior to 1981) was an American chain of mall-based retail toy stores. The company was founded in 1922 as Kaufman Brothers, a wholesale candy store. The company opened a wholesale toy store in 1946 and ended its candy wholesaling two years later to emphasize its toy products. Retail sales began during the 1970s, using the name Kay-Bee Toy & Hobby. In 1999, the company operated 1,324 stores across the United States and was the second-largest toy retailer in the U.S., but it began to struggle in the early 21st century, declaring bankruptcy in both 2004 and 2008 before going out of business on February 9, 2009. The company operated 461 stores at the time of its closure. International retailer Toys "R" Us acquired the remains of KB Toys, consisting mainly of its website, trademarks, and intellectual property rights. Strategic Marks, a company that buys and revives defunct brands, purchased the brand in 2016, and planned to open new stores using the name beginning in 2019; plans for this revival, however, were cancelled due to a lack of funding.