The vacant Toys “R” Us building at 1736 Skibo Road near Cross Creek Mall is getting new life as a Savers thrift store, with fresh signage and a dedicated donation entrance already visible at the site as crews continue work on the property.
Construction progress at the site shows the new Savers branding along with a designated Donation Center entrance, according to Whatnow. The outlet reports that Savers is preparing to open at the location, taking over the long-empty big-box space.
When it comes to timing, the reporting diverges. A Savers spokesperson told The Fayetteville Observer that the store would open in spring 2027, while Whatnow reported that the company had not announced an official opening date for the Fayetteville location. Shoppers hoping to pin down an exact date will have to wait for the company to clarify which account holds.
How Savers' Donation Model Works
Savers describes itself plainly on its own careers site: it is a for-profit company that champions reuse, not a charity. The company has stated that shopping in its stores does not directly support any nonprofit, but that donating reusable goods does, since Savers pays nonprofit partners for donated items rather than operating as a nonprofit itself.
Per Whatnow's reporting, that model extends to the Fayetteville store, where Savers has said it accepts donations on behalf of nonprofit partners and then purchases the donated goods from those organizations. The structure is common across the chain's locations, with donated goods purchased from nonprofit partners.
Part of a Broader Southeast Push
The Fayetteville store fits into a larger expansion plan. Savers Value Village's 2025 annual report states the company intends to broaden its presence in the Southeast during fiscal 2026, specifically naming North Carolina and Tennessee as target states. As of January 3, 2026, the company reported operating 367 stores across the United States, Canada and Australia.
That growth is unfolding against a broader surge in secondhand shopping. The U.S. secondhand market was worth $56 billion in 2025, a 14.3% increase from the prior year, according to a report cited by The Courier-Post. Savers Value Village itself posted $1.67 billion in sales in 2025, and a company spokesperson told The Courier-Post the company planned to open around 25 new stores in 2026, including its first locations in North Carolina and Tennessee.
For Fayetteville residents, the signage change at the former Toys “R” Us building marks the clearest sign yet that the space won't stay vacant much longer. Whether shoppers are browsing racks by spring or sometime later, the donation bins and thrift aisles appear headed for Cross Creek Mall's doorstep.
