Hamleys
William Hamley opened a toy shop called Noah's Ark at No. 231 High Holborn, London, in 1760. The business remained within the family for over a century before his grandsons took control in 1837. By that time, the store had gained fame among royalty and nobility who visited the establishment. A branch at 200 Regent Street in the West End of London opened in 1881 to serve growing demand. The original High Holborn location was destroyed by fire in 1901 and later relocated to 86, 87 High Holborn. This early period established the brand as a historic institution rather than just a commercial enterprise.
Hamleys suffered a downturn through the 1920s and closed, entering receivership, in 1931. Lines Bros toy company purchased the company and reopened the Regent Street store by the end of that year. Queen Mary granted Hamleys its first royal warrant in 1938 during this recovery phase. Debenhams bought the retailer in 1982 and sold it to the Burton Group in August 1985. Philip Harris led Harris Queensway which acquired Hamleys from Burton Group in August 1986. Lowndes Queensway then took over the group in 1988 before selling Hamleys to Duncan Chadwick for £22 million in May 1989. Baugur Group, an Icelandic investment firm, purchased Hamleys in June 2003 but went into administration in early 2009. Groupe Ludendo, a French toy retailer, bought Hamleys for £60 million in September 2012. C.Banner, a Chinese conglomerate based in Nanjing, subsequently acquired the business. Reliance Retail announced acquisition of Hamleys for £67.96 million in May 2019.
Queen Mary gave Hamleys a royal warrant in 1938 as a toys and sports merchant. The store held a Royal Warrant from Elizabeth II from 1955 until her death in 2022. These warrants signified official recognition by British royalty spanning nearly two centuries of operation. During the Second World War, the Regent Street store was bombed five times yet continued operations. The brand counted royalty among its customers even during the Victorian era when it first gained fame. This relationship with monarchy elevated Hamleys beyond typical retail status to become a cultural landmark recognized across generations.
The flagship store occupies seven floors covering space at Nos. 188, 196, Regent Street, London. More than 50,000 lines of toys are sold across these levels with different categories on each floor. The ground floor traditionally displays stuffed toys including Steiff brands alongside regular teddy bears and exotic plushes like turtles and dolphins. Life-sized giraffes and elephants stand among the merchandise creating visual spectacle for visitors. Public transit access comes via Oxford Circus underground station serving the West End location. Around five million visitors pass through annually with especially heavy traffic during Christmas seasons. The final scene of the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut was filmed inside this seven-floor toy emporium.
Hamleys opened its first store outside Europe in Amman, Jordan, on the 18th of June 2008. A Dubai franchise launched with two stores on the 4th of November 2008. The first store in South Asia appeared in Mumbai, India, on the 9th of April 2010 within an upmarket shopping district. By 2023, Hamleys operated 78 stores across India including locations in Punjab and cities like Amritsar and Bhubaneswar. European expansion included stores in Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Czech Republic, and Cyprus. The company opened its first Philippine store in Taguig City in 2014 and established presence in Mexico, Singapore, and South Africa throughout the 2010s. Reliance Retail planned to open additional locations in Kuwait and other Middle Eastern markets following their 2019 acquisition.
Hamleys maintained two websites in the 1990s: one for the UK that did not sell anything and a U.S. version with basic inventory. The company launched hamleys.com in 1999 offering worldwide shipping focused on user experience and customer service. Chief executives stated they did not want to compete solely on price against retailers like Toys 'R' Us or eToys. A website glitch in 2006 allowed customers to claim 60% discounts on any product. Econsulancy critiqued the site in 2013 for its basic approach that may have detracted from brand representation. The platform evolved from non-selling informational pages into an active global retail system serving international customers directly online.
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Common questions
When did William Hamley open the first Noah's Ark toy shop in London?
William Hamley opened a toy shop called Noah's Ark at No. 231 High Holborn, London, in 1760.
Who purchased Hamleys from Burton Group in August 1986?
Philip Harris led Harris Queensway which acquired Hamleys from Burton Group in August 1986.
What year did Queen Mary grant Hamleys its first royal warrant?
Queen Mary granted Hamleys its first royal warrant in 1938 during this recovery phase as a toys and sports merchant.
How many visitors pass through the flagship Regent Street store annually?
Around five million visitors pass through annually with especially heavy traffic during Christmas seasons.
Where was the first Hamleys store outside Europe located and when did it open?
Hamleys opened its first store outside Europe in Amman, Jordan, on the 18th of June 2008.