The Entertainer

Remember how great toy shops were when you were a kid? How there was always one toy you really wanted but honestly you’d be pretty happy with almost anything? It’s been a while since I’ve been given the chance to remember how much fun toy shops can be but fortunately I now have an excuse again.
Shopping for the other half’s 5-​year old nephew had us start out with the Lego store. However, we found it packed full of infants and frankly, a little pricey. So we wandered a bit further and came across The Entertainer.
Here toys are arranged by theme. Disney Princesses over here, Barbie dolls over here, Marvel Super heroes in this corner, Hot Wheels in that one, here some science sets, there some jigsaw puzzles. Outdoor toys, train sets, fancy dress, teddy bears, Sesame Street, Minions, etc etc etc.
Turns out kids love labels. They must have the toys with the latest movie theme. The Entertainer is happy to provide, and for a fair price. We left with some Hot Wheels spinning top things for the nephew and a Cookie Monster cuddly toy for his toddler little sister and I’ve never encountered such dedicated sales staff. Aside from just chatting to use about the toys and pointing out other similar items, we were offered cards and gift wrap and informed the Hot Wheels needed C-​type batteries. We were pointed in the direction of the customer survey. Somehow none of this felt pushy.
So we were pretty happy. In spite of the low prices I think it would be very easy to be tempted by too many extras and end up spending more. Also, I imagine it would be a nightmare to actually shop here with a child — the tills are lined with temping treats including more toys and lots of sweets. For our purposes, though, this was ideal.