Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Toys 'R' Us is back in business in New Jersey, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

A leaner, more focused version of the 72-year-old toy retailer is debuting Wednesday at the Westfield Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus.

It is the first Toys 'R' Us to open in the United States since the retailer, now under new ownership, filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed stores across the nation in 2018.

Emily Stoecker, of Oradell, was first on line Wednesday with her 20-year-old daughter, Sophie.

“It’s a piece of childhood back again. To see this back, in its new-school glory, is an amazing thing.”

She recalled buying a Cabbage Patch doll at a Toys 'R' Us in Paramus in the 1980s.

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Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Janessa DeJesus of North Haledon was in the store Wednesday morning, buying some toys from "Frozen," a Barbie doll and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

"Last year was not the same," she said, referring to the retailer closing.

"I don't want to get grocery food and toys at the same time."

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Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

At approximately 6,000 square feet, the second-floor store is several times smaller than the freestanding Toys 'R' Us buildings that once were ubiquitous in New Jersey and elsewhere.

Tru Kids Brands bought the liquidated company's assets at an auction in October 2018 and partnered with b8ta, described as a software-powered "experiential retailer," to develop the new stores.

Richard Barry, CEO of Tru Kids, was at the mall for the opening.

“Our vision is smaller, experiential stores,” he said, noting that the store in Paramus is about 6,500 square feet.

“A traditional Toys 'R' Us store would have been around 40,000 square feet,” he said.

“So, much smaller, but this store is packed with product, packed with amazing brands, packed with innovation, great technology.”

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Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The store is located next to the AMC theater. Upon walking inside, its anchor brands - Paw Patrol, Lego, Nintendo and Nerf - are on the right.



To the left is a bevy of other brands, such as Leap Frog, Monster Jam and v-tech.



Geoffrey's Tree House, named for the store's mascot, is in the center, with a winding staircase for small children.



In the rear, the "Play-a-Round Theater" features a large screen adorned on either side by the store's slogan, "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys 'R' Us kid."

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Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The brand announced last month a partnership with Target and relaunched Toysrus.com, at which browsers will reroute customers to Target's website to fulfill the purchase process.

A second Toys 'R' Us store, at a mall in Houston, Texas, is scheduled to open by Dec. 7. Additional, unspecified locations will be rolled out over the next year, the company said.

One thing hasn't changed: Geoffrey the Giraffe, the retailer's enduring mascot, is on hand Wednesday to greet shoppers.

Here's a first look at photos from inside the new store.

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Tru Kids CEO Richard Barry on why his company chose New Jersey for its first new ⁦@ToysRUs⁩ store in the U.S. #NJ pic.twitter.com/EKzx7DEu25 — Rob Jennings (@RobJenningsNJ) November 27, 2019

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Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Juanna Poon of Paramus with her grandson, Lucas, checking out Paw Patrol. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Toys 'R' Us opened its first new store in Paramus, New Jersey Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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(Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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