The Entertainer (Amersham) Ltd.
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The Entertainer (Amersham) Ltd. is the United Kingdom's largest independent toy retailer, founded by husband and wife team Catherine and Gary Grant in 1981, when he purchased a local toy shop in Amersham. The group is now responsible for the running of 41 shops mainly in the Midlands and southern England. The group now also owns the trading name of The Gadget Shop.
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[edit] History
The Entertainer began when Gary and Catherine Grant took over The Pram and Toy Bar located in Amersham, Buckinghamshire in early 1981. The shop was renamed The Entertainer in May 1981. In 1985, they purchased their second shop, located on The Broadway in Beaconsfield. In April 1991, ten years since the acquisition of the toy shop in Amersham, the chain opened its third shop in Slough, although this shop has since closed. From here on the company underwent massive expansion, and by 2000 the chain had opened its twenty fifth shop located in the Victoria Centre, Nottingham. By 2006, The Entertainer comprised of 41 stores from Taunton to Manchester and a website specialising in toys and games.
[edit] Store details
Branches of The Entertainer built before 2001 all support a bright red facia, with The Entertainer written in a white 'Times' style font. Many of them also bare the town's name, followed by toy shop, usually in areas where the Entertainer is the only true toy shop, or the largest, e.g. Nottingham's facia has Nottingham's Toy Shop to the right of the shop name, surrounding the Jack in a Box logo, this appears to have been discontinued as a slogan.
Since 2003, new stores use a striking bright blue facia, with The Entertainer written in a VAG Rounded font. The Jack in a Box logo is on the front of every shop without exception. The company's flagship store at The Bullring in Birmingham, has a unique facia, in that the sign is freestanding, raised out from the window, with the large illuminated Jack in a Box logo inside the window and on the entrance area floor. Newer stores have made use of the company's mission statement: 'mad about toys' together with The Entertainer website.
[edit] The Gadget Shop
The Gadget Shop was purchased by The Entertainer (Amersham) Ltd. from their administrators in June 2005, nearly 2 months since their retail stores and website were closed. The property that changed hands is unknown, but some stores where sold but unable to open, see the beliefs section below. The website reopened in October 2005, and seemed to be selling very much the same as what they where selling before the change of hands, minus products deemed immoral.
[edit] Christian beliefs
After an 'encounter with God' in 1992, Gary Grant decided that he would only sell toys that he deemed acceptable for Christian children to play with. Items that are seen to promote witchcraft and satanism are not sold. Recently, Gary Grant choose not to sell Harry Potter toys, a move which may have cost him several thousands of pounds. This attracted much publicity.
Another thing strictly off the agenda is Sunday trading, another expensive move.
[edit] The Grant Trust
The Grant Trust is The Entertainer's charitable wing. Part of Gary's belief is to give back to society. In 2002 alone, The Entertainer donated £100,000 to several children's charities, including The Toybox, a charity founded by Gary Grant, which helps out needy children in South America.
In 2005, The Entertainer launched its own Charity Wristband Partnership with 15 causes raising over £300,000 for a range of different charities.
