Toy News

I am a mother of a 4-year old girl. My daughter frequents her beloved Daisy & Tom on Kings Road on a daily basis. She rides on a scooter, touches new toys, sits and read books there. The space and staff provide a safe haven in a dreamland for all kids (and exhausted parents).

The shock of losing such an urban oasis is still shaking our household. Our Daisy & Tom will be closed down on 19 January 08, following the acquisition of the CSH by Mothercare. It is a reminder of a harsh world of capitalism squashing innocent dreams of children. The timing of the closure couldn’t be worse – the middle of cold and rainy English winter.

Tim Waterstone’s visions inspired many kids in the harsh urban culture land. Kids love to see the beautifully displayed book collection, which is also the biggest in town unlike all those bookstores just stacking them up in piles. There is a carousel and puppet show to the music by Prokofiev. He provided a place where kids can daydream and wander around safely in the urban life. D & T is no comparison to the outrageously consumerism-orientated Hamleys.

We already lost so many corner shops with an array of sweetie jars and gimmicky toys where kids used to just wander around in every town and city, and our urban kids are now losing their paradise while parents are losing the best toy and children’s bookstore in the country. Where can kids go free in the middle of long winter?

YD

THE ANNUAL FAMILY CHRISTMAS TRIP TO MANCHESTER DEC 07. PARKING UP IN OUR USUAL SPOT, WE RUSHED UP TO DAISY AND TOMS TO BUY
OUR SONS CHRISTMAS PRESENTS ONLY TO FIND IT BOARDED UP. I WAS GUTTED TO SAY THE LEAST.
I TURNED ROUND TO SEE THE LOVELY WINDOW OF TOYS IN THE HOUSE OF FRAZER AND WAS DELIGHTED HAMLEYS HAD COME TO MANCHESTER.
WE CAUGHT THE LIFT TO THE 6TH FLOOR HAMLEYS HERE WE COME, BUT TO OUR DISSAPPOINTMENT NOT EVEN A FULL FLOOR OF TOYS. THEY HAD THE USUAL DEMONSTRATING TABLES FROM WHICH WE DID BUY SOMETHING AND THE STAFF VERY POLITE AND HELPFULL.
SORRY HAMLEYS BUT YOU DIDNT HAVE THE DAISY AND TOMS ATMOSPHERE UNLIKE YOUR LONDON STORE WHICH IS AWSOME.
MANCHESTER NEEDS A BIG TOY STORE NOT A LITTLE HERE AND A LITTLE THERE.
EVEN THE DISNEY STORE IS SMALL.

BRING BACK DAISY AND TOMS AND ITS HUGE CHOICE OF TOYS.

Maybe when it reopens the staff will remember that everyone who comes in is a potential customer and not just target the 'yummy mummies'.

How very upset we were on our annual christmas visit to see santa, taking our 6 year old, 3 year old and our latest addition to D and T, only to be told by the cashier that D and T would be closing in January 08.

I was introduced to D and T 3 years ago when our son whos 3 now was an in patient at the Royal Brompton, having heart surgery. He is a regular patient there and still to this day has his blanket brought from D and T which is his favourite thing. I can't believe such a great shop has been taken from us!

The Kings Road is just not going to be the same!
PLEASE COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

We travel once a month to Dublin for the weekend and no trip was ever complete without a trip to Dundrum just outside Dublin. When our daughter got tired she soon perked up when we arrived at Daisy and Tom as she always loved playing on their helter skelter and getting a little treat too! Our trips won't be the same. This now leaved Dundrum without a good toy shop.

Come back soon Daisy & Tom

We travel once a month to Dublin for the weekend and no trip was ever complete without a trip to Dundrum just outside Dublin. When our daughter got tired she soon perked up when we arrived at Daisy and Tom as she always loved playing on their helter skelter and getting a little treat too! Our trips won't be the same. This now leaves Dundrum without a good toy shop.

Come back soon Daisy & Tom

Im sitting here in front of my pc in cape town South Africa totally shocked dismayed the fact that Daisy and Tom has closed their doors, Im feeling a great loss the memories that I hold, how am I going to tell my son and daughter that their wonderland is no longer. My children adored your store whenever we were in town we had to come I shop twice a year for the children and our first stop was DandT where do I get my DT navyblue cotton jersys where do I get Elizebeth Hurleys swimwear!!!? All our educational toys books dolls I could go on and on. and that all in one shop , no I dont want to go to Harrods I want to go to Dand T what do I say to those little faces Im Heartbroken,! SAD!

Instead of whining about the loss of all these places that children like to go why don't some of you do some research into opening your own shop? Yes it is a harsh capitalist world out there and most retailers cannot give up floor space to anything other than stock which is why Mothercare has closed down these shops - they were not generating enough profit because people were using them as somewhere to sit down between the high street chains. You tend to find that customers like to come into the traditional indie stores to try things out and get advice only then to hot foot it down to Tescos to save a fiver. If the customers keep treating those shops like that then the independent toy retailer, or indeed any independent retailer has less than ten years to live and then it will be all down to Asda for everything, except a sit on a sofa and a ride on a scooter.

As an independent toy retailer, I would never discourage browsers, children in planning their pocket money spends etc.

Yes, there are some who very cheekily say to us they were just checking prices and go off to some of the big retailers.

However, a whole lot more come in for advice, chat and pass it on to friends. We have a lovely time serving these customers and they always feel they can ask about any of the products we sell.

We are slowly expanding from being a model trains specialist to toys and the response has been wonderful locally. It is hard work though as every metre of space has to count.

We do have play tables for children just to come in and play with whilst parents browse, would love the luxury they had in these shops of so much 'play' space, but we like to think we are just as approachable and we are already building good childhood memories for local families and tourists alike.

I loved D & T, first to close was Bluewater, and that was a shame, I loved that shop, the cute bits and bobs, and now its all gone. I have to say I was somewat disappointed to learn that is sister company was ELC, and the toys were the same in the end. But the clothing range was v cute. Still baby nos 3 is wearing cast offs from nos 1 & 2 and they are still perfect. Such a shame when a great shop gets swallowed up. I bought my Phil & Teds from them and they were great when things went wrong. Such a damn shame. Lets hope it does re open, and whilst my kids are small enoughfor me to enjoy it ! Sarah x

After reading the comment above from the mother whose little girl visited the store every day "touching all the toys " I should think she drove the staff mad. As a retailer of 40 years standing I could never have afforded the luxury of giving over such "play space". I often used to say we were often just unpaid babysitters

What a terrible and tragic loss this is. I can hardly believe it. A part of child heaven. A veritable Narnia of sumptuous books with an almost Dickension atmosophere. Excitement and relaxation under one roof. Beautiful toys, to be found no where else. Concorde is clearly childless or has forgotten what it is to be a child. We need more stores like this. Good on you Shona Gwynne, perhaps you will be the next perveyor of such a gorgeous and much loved shops as this.
RIP DAT

It is always a shame when a shop you hold dear and have memories of closes down. D&T sold good quality more unusual toys, which parents love as they look pretty in the playroom, along with it's sister companies ELC generic toys which children love just as much even though they're shiny plastic! But the real tragedy is the staff who have lost their jobs! I'll be the first to admit I'd see something I like in a shop such as D&T and check out the price elsewhere before buying it, but unfortunately in doing this you forget the end result is closure of these lovely shops. Very few of us can afford to pay top price for things without giving it a second thought, and although you have the chance to try before you buy and have a wonderful experience in the shop, it comes at a much higher price. I do however look forward to seeing the new D&T when it relaunches and seeing it's new range of own brand products which will be available both online and for those after the 'Mr Magorium' experience, in-store!

This is great news! After the Youngsters problems and many high street Toy Sores closing, the UK has been the poorer and needs good Toy Stores, where the event of shopping for toys really is a fun experience as it certainly was in D&Ts. The children's market is big and with all the fabulous new toys and creative play kits out there now it would seem that well-marketed and well-laid-out stores would reap rewards. I really hope your "come back", the enthusiasm and helpfulness of your staff, and your marketing strategy all help revive the consumer interest in going shopping for toys. It really should be a great fun experience, it should be like walking into a house made of Gingerbread and Cookies! The excitement felt by both the littleones as well as us big kids! I look forward to visiting your new stores.

We were lucky enough to enjoy 10 wonderful years at Daisy & Toms in the Kings Road. We still have some unique toys that we bought from there that we didn't see anywhere else.
My son is 11 years old, so was growing out of the place. I feel sad for the other parents and children that won't get to enjoy the wonderful Peter and the Wolf puppet show and carousel ride; which were both free!

I was shocked when I saw Daisy & Tom closed, this was such an outstanding toy shop, my not yet new born will never know how wonderful was to brouse the shop and watch the play on first floor, can't stand ELC or Mother Care!

Come Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!