Giochi Preziosi will bring Hamleys to the Italian market, with ten stores planned to open in major city locations.

Giochi Preziosi has signed an agreement with Hamleys for the opening of at least ten single-brand stores throughout Italy. The company led by Enrico Preziosi has obtained the exclusive agreement for five years.

Openings are slated to start from September this year, initially in Milan and Rome. They will continue in further major Italian cities, with Genoa and Naples among the locations confirmed, according to reports in local media.

The iconic Hamleys brand, owned by the Rbl group (Reliance Brands), has over 200 stores worldwide, including in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Albania, Eastern Europe and Asia. In the UK, as well as the famous London flagship store on Regent Street. there are eleven outlets, including prominent shopping centre locations and six airport stores. The brand is famed for its in-store customer experiences and demonstrations.

The first Italian flagship store, in Milan, will be located in the central Corso Vittorio Emanuele and will occupy the 1,300 square meter space that previously belonged to Gap. In Rome, Hamleys will be located in the Galleria Alberto Sordi, in the former Feltrinelli, and in Naples, the store will be located in the new Maximall of Pompeii.

Italian multinational Giochi Preziosi is one of the major European players in the toy sector, both as a manufacturer and as a retailer: in addition to Italy, it has direct sales in six major European countries and in Turkey, operations in the Far East and global distribution agreements. The company acquired Flair Leisure Group in 2008.