New York (CNN Business) Toys "R" Us is returning to select malls in major metropolitan areas this holiday season with what it hopes is an innovative retail plan that could upend how stores sell toys.

Hasbro HAS Mattel MAT It comes two years after the company filed for bankruptcy and shuttered all its locations - seemingly for good - and just after toymakerreported disappointing third quarter sales heading into the industry's most crucial sales season. Hasbro's chief rival,, enjoyed a sales surge of 3% over the same period. Both toy companies' success was largely tied to Toys "R" Us prior to the retailer's financial demise and rebirth.

The revamped Toys "R" Us will open two streamlined locations ahead of Black Friday in Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, and The Galleria in Houston.

"We know that customers love shopping as a means of entertainment. That's something built into the DNA of human beings," Richard Barry, president and CEO of Toys "R" Us parent company, Tru Kids, told CNN Business. "We also know kids and families are looking for things to do on the weekends or when school's out. We know parents and families really value play and the value of toys overall. As we thought about the strategy, we wanted to put all those things together."

These are not simply stores, according to the company. The store chain will partner with the retail service startup B8ta to create hands-on, engaging experiences for kids and their parents, who may have fond memories of Toys "R" Us from their own childhoods.

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