The Entertainer (retailer)

The Entertainer (Amersham) Limited is a British toy retailer, founded in 1981 by Catherine and Gary Grant. It is based in Amersham, the town of its first location.

As of February 2024, the retailer has 160 stores across the United Kingdom, as well as locations in Jersey and the Isle of Man. The retailer also has an online business.

History
In 1981, married couple Catherine and Gary Grant took over The Pram and Toy Bar in Amersham, with Catherine coming up with The Entertainer as its new trading name.

In 1985, they purchased their second shop, located in Beaconsfield. In April 1991, ten years after the acquisition of the toy shop in Amersham, the chain opened its third shop in Slough. The company then underwent massive expansion and, by 2001, the chain had opened its 25th shop, located in the Victoria Centre in Nottingham.

In September 2018, a partnership began with Matalan, opening 59 in-store concessions under the name 'Totally Toys'.

In February 2019, The Entertainer purchased Early Learning Centre from Mothercare, which included 520 international franchise outlets.

In March 2020, the retailer closed all 172 of its stores temporarily, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In October 2020, The Entertainer started a trial programme with Asda, replacing the supermarket's existing toy aisles with branded concessions in selected stores. The programme ended in February 2022.

In September 2022, The Entertainer signed a new trial agreement with Tesco, placing in-store concessions in 35 supermarkets. In January 2024, Tesco announced they would extend this agreement to 850 stores throughout the UK and Ireland.

Religious views
Catherine and Gary are both devout Christians, and as such the retailer does not open on a Sunday; which is considered the Lord's Day in Christianity. The retailer also does not stock toys that resemble realistic firearms, or toys associated with the occult or witchcraft, such as Harry Potter and Halloween.