Toy specialist The Entertainer is to make a big departure from its past by opening on Sundays, Retail Week can reveal.
The change – from this Sunday – follows the transfer of ownership from the founding Grant family to an employee ownership trust, which was scheduled to complete today.
The Entertainer has never before opened on Sundays, reflecting the Christian values of co-founder Gary Grant and his belief in the importance of a day of rest and time with family and friends.
The retailer stuck to its stance even after Sunday trading was legalised in 1994, the day has since become one of the busiest of the week for many retailers.
The Entertainer will experiment with Sunday opening for six months in 150 of its 160 branches. After Easter next year a decision will be taken about whether Sunday opening should be introduced permanently.
The Entertainer chief executive Andrew Murphy said: “Our trial of Sunday opening is rooted in the company’s desire to reflect the shopping preferences of our customers and further strengthen our position as the UK’s most convenient destination for toys, games and collectables.
“We’re delighted to have been able to create over 200 weekend sales assistant roles to support our new extended operation and have been overwhelmed by the response, with over 10,000 applications received in just five weeks.
“The decision to trial Sunday opening is a natural development as we seek to maximise customer convenience and the company’s sustainability. Our colleagues – as the beneficiaries of the trust, which now owns the business – recognise the importance of meeting customer demand and competing hard in a tough market. We’re delighted with the exceptionally high degree of opt-in support we’ve seen for our first steps into Sunday working.”
A consultation with store staff has begun “to ensure that the new trading hours accommodate individual circumstances and support a smooth operational transition”.
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