The Entertainer Partners with THG Commerce with focus on boosting its digital customer experience
UK toy retailer, The Entertainer, has appointed THG Commerce, part of THG Ingenuity, as its new digital commerce partner. The multi-year tie up will see THG Commerce design, build and power The Entertainer’s next-generation digital experience, with the aim of creating a more intuitive, inspiring and personalised journey for families, gift buyers and adult toy and collectible enthusiasts.
THG Commerce will deploy AI enabled shopping assistance, conversational discovery and intent led search capabilities to help customers explore thousands of products and find the right choice more intuitively. These capabilities draw on the wider THG Ingenuity collaboration with Google Cloud, which harnesses Vertex AI Commerce Search and Gemini.
Alongside smarter search and discovery, the new experience will bring together richer content, curated product journeys and personalised recommendations to inspire customers throughout the purchasing journey. THG Commerce will deliver a new web and mobile experience, together with an enhanced Click & Collect journey designed to create a more seamless connection between digital discovery and The Entertainer’s nationwide store network.
The new platform is expected to launch in spring 2027 and has been designed to provide a foundation for future opportunities across loyalty, retail media and social commerce as The Entertainer continues to develop its omnichannel customer proposition.
Malcolm Carter, Digital & Marketing Director, The Entertainer, says: “Our ambition is to redefine the experience for anyone looking to discover and buy toys, whether they are shopping for their children, choosing a gift for someone else or buying for themselves. Toy shopping should be joyful and inspiring, but the sheet breadth of choice means customers increasingly need help navigating it.”
“We have a real opportunity to combine the expertise, trusted brands and passion for play people associate with The Entertainer with intelligent technology that helps customers find something they’ll love. Partnering with THG Commerce gives us the technology, capability and ambition to reimagine that experience across digital, stores and wherever our customers choose to shop in an increasing AI centric landscape. This is an important investment in the next generation of The Entertainer and in how we serve our customers.”
Darren Rajanah, Chief Revenue Officer, THG Ingenuity, says: “The Entertainer is one of the most recognisable names in UK toy retail. Toy retail is a particularly rich discovery environment. Customers arrive with very different missions, from gifting and family purchases to collecting, and technology can play a powerful role in helping them navigate choice and discover the right products.”
“The Entertainer get AI enabled shopping assistance and CRM integrated enhanced personalisation at launch, then a roadmap into loyalty, retail media and social commerce, backed by our wider THG Studios capabilities which can bring a new range to life on site quickly. We have built our AI capabilities to work anywhere, as standalone services that integrate with any commerce platform, so brands can benefit from them whether or not they replatform with us. We look forward to working closely with The Entertainer team to support their long-term growth ambitions”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Digital experiences 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.
