Family-owned toy retailer The Entertainer has set its sights on expanding its own-brand store estate in Spain, following the opening of its first fascia in Valencia. 

The opening follows a rebranding of Spanish toy retailer Poly’s existing store in the city. Poly, a chain of 39 shops, was acquired by The Entertainer in 2018

The Entertainer, Valencia

The Entertainer has rebranded from Poly in Valenica

The store will include many of the initiatives The Entertainer has introduced in their UK stores such as demonstrations and character meet-and-greets.

The Entertainer operates 171 stores across the UK.

The opening of this first branded store in Spain marks the first step in a planned “future expansion” by the company across the country. This performance of the Valencia store will act as a trial as the company considers the rebranding of other Poly stores. The Entertainer is also looking at opening other new stores under its own branding.

While customers are now welcome in-store, a grand opening is planned for May 22.

The Entertainer founder and executive chair Gary Grant said the move illustrates the brand’s commitment to the region: “We have been operating in Spain through our Poly stores since 2018 and heavily investing into the Spanish market but now is the perfect time for us to introduce The Entertainer to the people of Spain.

“We have spent 40 years perfecting our unique customer experience and we are excited to bring this full experience to Spain for families to enjoy. The Entertainer Valencia is a significant landmark for our operations in Spain and we’re excited to develop and grow The Entertainer further across the region over the coming months and years.”

Stores Week

Stores Week

The Entertainer founder Gary Grant will be speaking at Retail Week’s Stores Week.

How can retailers leverage and adapt their existing stores to meet new consumer demand while remaining profitable? What role will shops play in the overall retail mix and what are the KPIs that will really count? And what will the store of the future look like?

Retail Week’s inaugural Stores Week will seek to find the answers.

Each of our morning masterclasses – taking place on Tuesday, May 18, and Thursday, May 20 – will include two panel discussions and a fireside chat with top retailers and brands from the UK and overseas.