Toyztore wins on big night

News

Ronnie Dungan Jan 26 2006, 10:00pm

Newry-based independent Toyztore has won the Toy Retailers Association’s Toy Retailer of the Year award.

The winners were announced at the annual TRA Awards held at East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf and sponsored by Flair, Tomy, Ravensburger and Vivid, with ToyNews as exclusive media partner.

Other regional winners in the independent sector included Macclesfield’s Jac in a Box which won the North award; Guildford’s Enchanted Wood won in the South; Richards of Abergavenny in the Midlands and Toyztore was also the regional winner in Ireland.

Other nominees included Toyworld, Skipton; Formative Fun, Worcester; Moons Toymaster, Newmarket; Fenwicks, London; Starlings Toymaster, Dereham; Kidzone Toymaster, Dundalk and ToyCity, Sligo.

In the National retailer class the Crawley branch was deemed the best Entertainer store; Kingston-Upon-Thames was the best Woolworths store; the Bangor branch was the best Early Learning Centre and Toys R Us nominated its Croydon and Preston stores as joint winners.

Tomy’s Robert Mann, chairman of the judging panel said: “The sponsors and judging panel at this year’s TRA awards were impressed by the high quality standards set by entrants from across the UK and Ireland. The panel was particularly impressed by the smaller independent retailers who clearly put their own personalities into their stores whilst maintaining a professional approach to their customers. Retail theatre, modular displays and high visibility promotions won the day in the eyes of the judges.”