Hamleys

Right after the Infinity Mall at Malad came into existence the travel toPalladium and High Street Phoenix seems to have reduced amongst the suburban Mumbaikar! But, hell now they have it all and that too very close to their houses! Zara opened an outlet at Infinity and that made news but what we tell you will not just be for the fashion freaks! Hold on to your chair Yes,Hamleys is now closer to your home! Hamleys, the worlds most famous toy retailer, was established by Cornishman William Hamley in London in 1760. Today it remains the worlds most wonderful toy shop, synonymous with theatre, magic and entertainment. This store is the third franchise in India, and second in Mumbai. Hamleys has entered the Indian market, through an exclusive pan-India franchise arrangement with Reliance Brands Limited, a part of the Reliance Industries Group. Featuring larger-than-life doll houses, planes, and the iconic 'Big Red' London Bus, coupled with toy demonstrators and magicians, unique demos and exciting activities, this 9,000 sq ft. store is sure to captivate everyone who walks into the store. Through it's wonderful history and magical shopping experience, Hamleys makes children feel like it's Christmas, adults feel like children and shopping feel like fun. So when you step in the store you will find Racing Track for RC Cars, London Double Decker Bus, Safari Jeep and much more. No Hamleys experience is complete without its unique brand of theatre and entertainment. And besides the Hamleys own brand range, the store also houses some other well known and loved national and international brands such as Mattel, Fisher Price, Funskool, Simba and numerous other brands that are known known for their toys like Barbie, Hotwheels, Scrabble, Pictionary, WWE, Lego, Transformers, Monopoly etc. Speaking on Hamleys coming to Infiniti Malad, Mr. Mukesh Kumar, VP, Infiniti Mall said, Hamleys is known the world over as one of the best toymakers & toy retailers. Hamleys being a premium toy store has been very selective when it comes to their store location across the globe. We feel very proud that they have chosen Infiniti Mall as the location for their second store in Mumbai and third store in India. We are confident that through Infiniti Mall, Hamleys will be in a very strong position to reach out to its target consumers. So this weekend plan seems to pretty much set for most of youll. Head to Infinity and get back to childhood!

Mumbai, Maharashtra, February 6, 2013 /India PRwire/ -- Reliance Industries Limited led by MukeshAmbani is soon to up the ante in the toy industry, by infusing the global trends. The company's subsidiary, Reliance Retail, intends to roll out 20 new Hamley stores in the next three years. Sources claim that this would require an investment of around Rs. 120 crore. Darshan Mehta, President and CEO of Reliance Brands Limited, stated that they are planning to launch around 20 new stores in three years time. He believes that their goal is achievable. They have two stores in Mumbai and the third one is under construction. Mehta claims that they will have around five store openings, this year, considering the fact that they have their store roll out in Chandigarh, Pune, Surat. He also states that they will aim to have 11 stores by the end of the calendar year 2013.

Reliance Retail collaborated with Hamleys, UK based toy store as they inked an exclusive pan - India franchiseagreement in 2010. Their first store was launched in Mumbai last year. Speaking about the tieup,Reliance Retail President and CEO, Bijou Kurien, stated that Hamleys predicts a boom in the toy industry in India and has hence, partnered With Reliance, to tap the same. He also added that their first store located in Mumbai has high footfalls and has been receiving a huge response. Extending to an area of 21,000 square foot, the store is huge and massive. About the sea- change in the toy industry wherein remote controlled and edutainment toys have replaced soft toys, Kurien opined that boys are now fond of having radio-operated toys and girls are more interested in activity-oriented toys than the traditional stuffed toys. He stated that the current per capita consumption of toys in India is very low vis--vis USA and China. However, the scenario is changing and the market for branded toys is expectedto grow at 10%- 15%, year on year. At present, it is valued at over Rs.1500 crore. He also believes that the foray of organized sectors into the market may serve to be an impetus to this growth. The Chennai store, their second store, extends to an area of 11,000 square feet stocks and houses topnotch international toys like Lego, Mattel, Funskool, Monopoly, Transformer, Nerf,and Fisher Price along with other renowned, Indian and Chinese ones. Mr. Kurien stated that the store would cater to people from all strata of the society and display toys that are affordable to the high-end ones. In order to provide the best consumer service and resolve their every query, the store has staff trained by Hamleys Academy.

The first store in Asia was opened in Mumbai on 9 April 2010. The 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m ) store is located in an upmarket shopping district in India's financial capital. A second store in India is located in the city of Chennai at the Express Avenue Mall. The 11,000 sq ft store has a London bus that customers can walk up through. It now has 8 stores in India, including Delhi,Ahmedabad, Bangalore, a second store [12] in Mumbai, Pune and Chandigarh.

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