All The Entertainer articles
The Entertainer is the UK’s largest independent toy retailer, founded by husband-and-wife team Gary and Catherine Grant in 1981. Since its first shop in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, the retailer has expanded to over 170 stores across the UK. It aims to offer a child-friendly retail environment and its offer is shaped by the Christian values of Gary Grant, who continues to head the business. The Entertainer’s shops do not open on Sundays. Robust sales growth has been reported over the years and since its investment in multichannel, online sales now account for around a quarter of the overall total.
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Retail Navigator AnalysisThe Entertainer (Financials)
Sales at The Entertainer declined 5.6% to £208.4m in the year ended 27 January 2024 (FY2023). The retailer experienced a “continuation of economic challenges as inflation remained at historically high levels” while its operational cost base “continued to be under pressure.”
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NewsThe Entertainer has taken a ‘big and important step’ with hundreds of new Tesco concessions
The Entertainer has rolled out more than 850 new toy shops within Tesco as part of a new partnership to expand its retail presence in the UK and Ireland.
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NewsTesco and The Entertainer partnership rolled out to 850 stores
Tesco and The Entertainer are to extend their partnership across the grocer’s stores in the UK and Ireland from this spring.
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NewsEntertainer CEO and Mary Portas top retail names in new year honours
Entertainer CEO and former John Lewis director Andrew Murphy and retail expert Mary Portas are among the industry names recognised in the new year honours list.
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AnalysisGolden quarter: How retailers are preparing for another cash-strapped Christmas
With the macroeconomic environment looking gloomier than ever, we spoke to some of the UK’s biggest retailers to get their take on whether this year’s festive season will be feast or famine.
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NewsThe Entertainer posts sales boost but ‘remains cautious’
The Entertainer has posted sales growth that outperforms the wider toy market but said it “remains cautious” about its short-term outlook.
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NewsFormer John Lewis COO Andrew Murphy hired as The Entertainer CEO
Former John Lewis Partnership (JLP) chief operating officer Andrew Murphy has joined The Entertainer as its chief executive.
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NewsTesco and The Entertainer launch concession partnership
Tesco has joined forces with The Entertainer to open toy concessions in 35 of its largest supermarkets.
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AnalysisAnalysis: The solutions retailers are putting in place to navigate the supply chain crisis
A shortage of HGV drivers, increased Brexit red tape, not enough warehouse staff, high freight costs and a shortage of food-grade CO2. It feels that, from week to week, the supply chain issues facing UK retail have only piled up further, posing big questions for the industry.
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AnalysisDeep dive: Tackling the fulfilment nightmare before Christmas
With online sales expected to remain high this golden quarter and the industry facing operational challenges as the first post-Brexit Christmas, Retail Week explores how retailers can shore up their operations and fulfilment to meet consumer demand ahead of peak.
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NewsEntertainer boss warns of Christmas shortages due to shipping ‘crisis’
The Entertainer founder and executive chair Gary Grant has told Retail Week pent-up shipping demand will impact product availability this Christmas.
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AnalysisLocation, location, location: where retailers will need stores in a post-Covid world
Retail Week analyses the toll taken on retail destinations over the past 15 months, how they will fare in future and what plans all stakeholders – from local authorities to retailers and landlords – have put in place to bounce back or build momentum.
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AnalysisThree ways retailers are rethinking stores for future success
Retail Week’s inaugural Stores Week, celebrating bricks and mortar, kicks off today. From The Entertainer and Dixons Carphone to Theo Paphitis Retail Group and AS Watson, retailers and brands from across the sector will reveal how they’re shaping their store strategies. Here’s a taster of what to expect.
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NewsThe Entertainer targets Spanish expansion with first branded store
Family-owned toy retailer The Entertainer has set its sights on expanding its own-brand store estate in Spain, following the opening of its first fascia in Valencia.
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Retail Navigator AnalysisThe Entertainer (People)
Former John Lewis Partnership (JLP) chief operating officer Andrew Murphy takes the helm from mid-October 2023, joining The Entertainer as CEO after 30 years at JLP. Murphy replaces Mark Campbell who had been CEO since 2020.
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Retail Navigator AnalysisThe Entertainer (Overview)
The Entertainer is a family-owned toy retailer founded by Catherine and Gary Grant in 1981. Chief executive Andrew Murphy joined in mid-October 2023 having previously had a 30-year career within the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) where he was most recently chief operating officer.
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Retail Navigator AnalysisThe Entertainer (SWOT)
The online channel accounts for a growing proportion of The Entertainer’s revenue. Recent growth has been driven by investment in initiatives such as a 30-minute click-and-collect service, with around half of online orders now picked up in store.
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VideoRetail Question Time with Gary Grant and Frances Bishop
As retailers prepare to reopen next month, toy retailer The Entertainer founder and chair Gary Grant and childrenswear specialist Pud Store founder Frances Bishop discuss their hopes and expectations, how consumers will behave and how their businesses have changed during the pandemic.
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VideoWatch: The Entertainer and NOTHS reveal trading trends from a ‘chaotic’ Christmas
Christmas 2020 was the most volatile retail has ever experienced. Leaders from The Entertainer, Notonthehighstreet, Openpay and Braze dissect the trading trends and what they mean for retail in 2021.
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AnalysisTier four fears: Retail CEOs on shop closure ‘body blow’ and port delays
After the toughest of years, retailers were dealt another savage blow in the crucial final trading week ahead of Christmas.