The British toy retailer is in the final stages of closing a deal to acquire a 30,000 square foot space in New York City, reports CNBC.
Due to the ever-increasing presence of online and e-commerce markets in combination with the closing of so many traditional toy retailers like Toys R Us, no clear market leader in the world of toys has been established. Hamleys, the popular British toy store may be taking its place as that leader.
According to sources, the toy retailing giant will be opening a space in Herald Square near Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret by 2020, once the deal is officially finalized.
The original shop opened in the UK in 1760 and is a popular tourist destination in England as well as their other locations across the world. Hamleys is known for their exciting experiences that kids can come in and try out at the store. Examples of this include playing with life-sized Legos and interacting with store staff dressed up as characters from popular children’s movies and games.
This type of tailor-made experience is particularly effective with adults- think of all those immersive Instagram experiences- so it makes sense that children would want to have some interactive time with their favorite products before they (ie. mom and dad) make a purchase.
However, Hamleys won’t enter the New York space without a little competition. Larger than life toy retailer, F.A.O. Schwartz has made an incredible come back this holiday season and is proving that traditional toy retail does still have a spot in a modern, e-commerce driven market.
Featured image: Ludhi85/Flickr