The third installment in our week-long series focuses on the 2018 nominees for General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year.

The British Toy & Hobby Association has announced the finalists for the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards 2018. In the category General Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year, the nominees are as follows:

Asda

Asda offers a multi-channel seamless shopping experience. To avoid queuing to pay a cashier, customers can now buy toys much quicker on their mobiles and pick up at their convenience with the in store click-and-collect service at George and Asda stores. The Asda toy offering includes top rated brands promoting pre-school, girls’ and boys’ toys while focusing on key learning strategies such as imaginative play. George Home wooden toys offer a wide range of options including kitchens, dolls houses and accessory sets.

Tesco

Toys were ever-present in Tesco promotions last year, reflected in promotional ends at the front of stores, the retailer’s biggest ever toy sale, and two toy-specific catalogues; the first to support its October half price toy sale, and the second highlighting the range of toys in its larger stores at Christmas. With customer satisfaction at the fore, Tesco has further developed its Carousel range into outdoor toys and games and placed an increased focus on lower price points with its top toys. In addition, the retailer has been working closely on its offerings for bigger kids with brands such as Funko and has positioned itself as a retailer of choice for World Cup Stickers.

Sainsbury’s Argos

Toys is a key category for Sainsbury’s Argos and one that the whole business is passionate about. Since combining with Sainsbury’s, Argos continues to make it as easy as possible for customers to collect from stores. Argos now has over 1,200 store ‘touch points’ including standalones, collection points and over 260 concessions inside Sainsbury’s stores. In keeping with Argos’ aim to be the No. 1 choice for toys, the retailer announced its Top Toys for 2018 list before anyone else, and to celebrate its 45th anniversary an exhibition (Argos – 45 Years of Toys) was held at the Tottenham Court Road store.

The winners of the prestigious Toy Retailer Awards will be announced at the annual Toy Industry Awards held at Olympia, London on Tuesday 22nd January 2019. The gala event, which takes place on the first evening of Toy Fair, is organised by the BTHA with the Toy Retailers Association (TRA), which will also present the Toy and Supplier Awards 2018 on the same evening.