The Entertainer has defied the doom and gloom facing the toy retail sector after posting growth in full-year profits and sales.
In its fiscal year ending February 1, the toy retailer said pre-tax profits surged 37 per cent to £11.5 million while sales grew 6.8 per cent to £162 million.
However, sales plateaued on a like-for-like basis.
The Entertainer’s performance was bolstered by its ecommerce division, which experienced a 30 per cent spike in revenue, while click-and-collect jumped 32 per cent.
The retailer added that its online business had grown five-fold in the last five years.
Its own-brand toy range – Addo Play – and international store growth also boosted growth for the business.
The Entertainer has now facilitated a payment of £1.9 million to its staff as part of its profit-share scheme.
In addition, it said 10 per cent of profits would be donated charity.
“Considering the well-documented challenges that the high street and the toy industry faced in the last year, we are delighted with these results,” founder and managing director Gary Grant said.
The Entertainer said it has future plans to invest in UK and European acquisitions and a new web platform.
“We strive to drive the toy market forward while continuing to offer our customers an exciting shopping experience and we are very much looking forward to continued success in 2018,” Grant said.
The news comes after ther UK arm of Toys R Us collapsed at the end of February, which will see the loss of thousands of jobs and the closure of 100 stores.
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