The Entertainer, the fastest growing multi-channel toy retailer in the UK, announces a 37% increase in YOY profits.

The Entertainer posted an increase in total sales of 6.8% in the 12-month period 1st February 2017 to 27th January 2018, compared to the same period last year, with LFL store sales broadly flat. TheToyShop.com, The Entertainer’s online platform, reported a 30% sales increase in the same period YOY and five-fold growth in the last five years. Within that, use of the 30-minute click and collect service surged by 32% in the year.

On the drivers for this success, Gary Grant, founder and managing director of The Entertainer, commented: “Considering the well documented challenges that the high street and the toy industry faced in the last year, we are delighted with these results. TheToyShop.com has experienced strong growth as more customers choose our online channel. Addo Play, our own brand toy range, also enjoyed strong growth over the last 12-month period, placing them as our 4th biggest supplier. Our international store growth also contributed to what turned out to be a stellar year.”

“We continue to have an ambitious growth agenda with plans to re-invest this revenue back in to the business, particularly focusing on UK and European acquisitions and the re-platform of TheToyShop.com. We strive to drive the toy market forward whilst continuing to offer our customers an exciting shopping experience and we are very much looking forward to continued success in 2018.”

As a result of this success, The Entertainer has declared its profit-share to staff for the last financial year totaling £1.9m.

Gary added: “This is the first year of our company-wide profit-share scheme and yesterday would be one of my highlights of the last 37 years; being able to announce a record profit-share for a record year’s trading, to all of our employees.“