Toy retailer The Entertainer gears up for new store opening at Manchester’s Trafford Centre
The Entertainer is set to open a new store at The Trafford Centre in Manchester next month, marking the return of a full range specialist toy offer for the first time since 2018. This is the retailer’s eighth opening in the last 12 months with the most recent being the new "Toys for Less" outlet stores at The Galleria in Hatfield, and Frasers Plus Designer Outlet in Leeds as well as re-opening an expanded and refurbished Brighton Churchill Square store.
Andrew Murphy, Group Chief Executive Officer of The Entertainer, says: “Announcing that, this September, we’ll be joining the brilliant line-up of top flight retailers at Trafford Centre is the undoubted highlight of an already exciting year of store openings for us. The toy category is underrepresented in the centre, with customer research showing high demand for our offer.”
“We’ve been patiently waiting for almost a decade for the right space to become available, so we’re particularly excited to share this news. With over 3,000 different toys, games and collectibles we'll bring an entirely new level of choice and quality to this iconic shopping location, giving the tens of thousands of families who love shopping there the exciting range of gifts and treats they deserve.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
