Customers shopping with The Entertainer online and in store were encouraged to donate an additional toy to help a family in need this Christmas.

The Entertainer has helped to generate a whopping 22,000 toy donations for The Big Toy Appeal in partnership with the Salvation Army.

Following a difficult year for many families due to Covid-19 and the financial impacts of the virus, The Entertainer asked customers shopping online, and in store, to donate an additional toy to a family in need this Christmas to enable all children to experience the wonder of opening a toy from Father Christmas.

Perhaps acknowledging just how difficult a year 2020 has been and the increased sense of community spirit and support for others, The Toy Appeal online donation was the retailer’s best-selling line on Black Friday, marking the warm generosity of The Entertainer’s shoppers.

The toys will now be delivered to The Salvation Army and distributed to families across the country in time to place them under the Christmas tree.

Gary Grant, founder and executive chairman at The Entertainer, commented: “We are delighted with the amount of donations we have received for this year’s Big Toy Appeal and we are so grateful to our customers for their generosity. Following a challenging year, many families are experiencing overwhelming difficulties trying to give their children a toy to open on Christmas morning, so we are delighted that we could team up with The Salvation Army again and provide some help and happiness for those families most in need.”

The Entertainer has also re-introduced its Christmas Quiet Hours, which will be taking place every day throughout December in its 171 stores across the country. The initiative aims to create a calmer shopping environment for autistic people and for any shoppers who find the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping an uncomfortable experience.

Store staff have previously undertaken additional training to help them support customers who may be overwhelmed by the sensory overload that Christmas shopping can cause. Whilst other retailers will be turning up the Christmas music and adding flashing lights, The Entertainer will be turning off its Christmas songs and dimming the lights for the first hour of trading each day.

The Christmas Quiet Hour will be in operation from opening until 10am at each store throughout December. The Entertainer has also extended its opening hours nationwide wherever possible, from 8am-8pm Monday to Saturday so that shoppers can visit its 171 stores across the country with more flexibility than before. Opening times will vary for each store but all information can also be found here.