Britain’s toy shop, The Entertainer, has revealed it will open a brand-new store at Trafford Centre later this year.
The new opening, on Upper Regent Crescent, is expected to rival The Entertainer’s flagship store at Bluewater in Kent for the top sales ranking among the chain’s 150+ shops and sees a full range* specialist toy offer return to Trafford Centre for the first time since 2018.
Bringing the leading toy retailer’s full range of best-loved brands and regular new releases to the centre for the first time, the new store is expected to open in September. As well as latest toys from the world’s biggest toy manufacturers like LEGO, Mattel, Hasbro and Zuru, The Entertainer brings must-have craze toys like Squishies, Needoh and KPop Demon Hunters.
There’s also a year-round launch programme of new collectibles including releases from Pokémon, One Piece, Panini & Topps Trading Cards, Stranger Things & Five Nights at Freddie’s, as well as its popular own-label toy ranges, including Early Learning Centre, Meccano and the ‘soft toy meets food’ phenomenon ‘Yummy Buddies’.
The arrival of The Entertainer’s new Trafford Centre store is its eighth opening in the last 12 months with the most recent being the new “Toys for Less” outlet stores at The Galleria in Hatfield, and Frasers Plus Designer Outlet in Leeds as well as re-opening an expanded and refurbished Brighton Churchill Square store.
Trafford Centre welcomes around 23 million visitors each year, with intense competition for space among top high-street names.
Andrew Murphy OBE, group chief executive officer of The Entertainer, said: “Announcing that, this September, we’ll be joining the brilliant line-up of top-flight retailers at Trafford Centre is the undoubted highlight of an already exciting year of store openings for us. The toy category is underrepresented in the centre, with customer research showing high demand for our offer.”
“We’ve been patiently waiting for almost a decade for the right space to become available, so we’re particularly excited to share this news. With over 3000 different toys, games and collectibles we’ll bring an entirely new level of choice and quality to this iconic shopping location, giving the tens of thousands of families who love shopping there the exciting range of gifts and treats they deserve.”
Kate Pearson, Director of Portfolio Leasing at Pradera, Trafford Centre’s asset managers, said: “The Entertainer is a strong addition to Trafford Centre, bringing one of the UK’s best-known specialist toy brands to our visitors and further enhancing the choice available to families.
“Its arrival adds another standout name to our broad and diverse retail mix and reflects our strategy of securing brands that give customers more reasons to visit. Continued demand from leading UK and international retailers is a clear endorsement of Trafford Centre’s performance and enduring appeal.”
For more information on The Entertainer and to shop online, visit www.thetoyshop.com.
