Today Hamleys opens Europe‘s largest toy shop in Moscow.
Hamleys is the world‘s oldest toy shop and it continues to innovate. Designed by global retail and brand consultancy FITCH, the new 7,000 sq m space expands Hamleys‘ current design and incorporates new concepts that transport families through a world of entertainment and discovery. Hamleys World at Lubyanka is more than a place to simply shop.
A new platform called ‘Worlds of Play‘ takes customers on a journey over two storeys and through nine different worlds: Enchanted Forest, Imagination, LEGO World, Magic Kingdom, Metropolis, Motor City, Park, Safari and Space.
Each world mixes retail, attraction and entertainment to provide a feast for the senses; in Motor City there is a Go-Kart track; in Space a full scale replica of the Star Wars Millennium Falcon (that children can test drive); in Magic Kingdom a huge castle in which kids can play and explore, and witches fly through Enchanted Forest on broomsticks, ducking between tree houses and scaling hidden pathways. Digital windows display cues from nostalgic Russian childhood games whilst interactive signage and wayfinding make navigation a “delight”.
Located in the famous Lubyanka Square and known as “Mir Hamleys” in Russia, the store is set to become a leading Moscow attraction. This toy shop is a place for exploration and immersion, championed by a 13 m tall LEGO rocket made with 1.9m bricks.
Gudjon Reynisson, CEO of Hamleys, said: “Hamleys is about making toys fun for families all over the world. At Hamleys Lubyanka, through our partners, we had a fantastic opportunity to develop our retail experience to be even more memorable.”
“Play is a serious business,” says David Blair, CEO FITCH EMEIA. “The more a person can interact with a product, the more immersed they become in the brand, the deeper the connections they build. The Hamleys World concept continues to build on a place where toys come alive.”
