A fun filled evening for all
Since it opened its doors in Holborn, London in 1760, Hamleys touts itself as ‘The finest toy shop in the world’. Hamleys’ history began with William Hamley, a Cornishman from Bodmin, England, when he dreamed of opening the best toy shop in the world. With over 118 toy shops worldwide, Hamleys, in India, has grown to be recognised as a trend setter for new and magical experiences for children. The brand has 60 stores spread across 30 cities in the country and is growing. Recently, the brand opened doors of its flagship store to welcome customers to a whole new magical experience in which they recreated the iconic grand parade from Regent Street, London.
The entire four hour extravaganza involved 25 popular kids’ characters from across the globe. Hundreds of kids and parents gathered at High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, Mumbai to witness the event. International characters were joined by the Hamleys family who broke into an enthralling performance, dancing their way through the crowd and engaging with children. Everyone surrounding the characters were seen cheering along with Hamleys’ beloved mascots – Hamley Bear and Hattie Bear. The international characters that added to the merriment included Peppa Pig, Masha and the Bear, My Little Pony, Tom and Jerry, Doraemon, Shopkins and more.
“At Hamleys, we believe in creating experiences for children that are magical and the grand parade is one such magical celebration. We wanted to recreate the Hamleys London Christmas parade where children get an opportunity to meet all their favourite characters in one space. The occasion was perfect as we celebrated the opening of our flagship store at High Street Phoenix to an all new playroom concept. This concept is going to change the way children and parents spend time at their favourite toy store,” said Lipika Ganguli, head of marketing, Hamleys India.
The Hamleys store has been remodeled on the concept of Hamleys playroom which includes new elements of play for children, activity areas, exclusive product lines and new categories. Hamleys is known for the unique in-store magical experience it provides to both children and parents. The new store promises to take that experience notches higher and set a benchmark for the upcoming stores.