Britain’s biggest toy chain with over 160 locations announces closure of popular store in blow to shoppers
THE UK’s largest toy chain has announced that a popular store will close in a blow to Christmas shoppers.
The branch had been at the centre of another chaotic shutdown in recent weeks.
Toy giant The Entertainer has confirmed that it will be shutting its outlet at the Cameron Toll shopping centre in Edinburgh for good.
It will mark the end of a decade-long run for the shop. which opened in 2014.
The entire area has been embroiled in traffic chaos for weeks with the part closure of the Cameron Toll roundabout.
Drivers and pedestrians alike have been urged to avoid the junction after the discovery of a “large void” underneath which could have caused the carriageway to collapse.
The roundabout had only just reopened from 12 weeks of emergency gas works when it was closed again.
This understandably had an impact on the number of people visiting the shopping centre, but it has not been confirmed whether the closure of The Entertainer is linked to the disruption.
The date of the closure has also not been announced, but a sign in the window provides a telephone number for customers to contact with any questions.
Parents will, no doubt, be hoping that the outlet remains active at least until Christmas so they’re kids can enjoy one last treat from the brand.
The nearest alternatives are Toys Galore on Morningside Road around 2.5 miles away or the Smyth’s Toys Superstore almost five miles in the other direction.
While the exact motivation for the closure has not been clarified, Entertainer boss Andrew Murphy recently revealed that the chain had abandoned plans to open two new branches in the wake of the last Budget.
Criticising the Government’s decision to hike employers’ National Insurance Contributions, he told BBC Today: “We were just about to initiate the work and unfortunately the changes to National Insurance in particular just tipped that balance so those stores will now not be opening.”
It follows the announcement that a major discount store with 960 shops nationwide would be closing branches for three days over Christmas.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.