The launch of Hamleys Albania is part of the toy chain’s global expansion to newer markets
New Delhi: Hamleys has made its debut in Albania as Reliance Retail seeks to expand the toy retailer’s reach to several new markets including the US and Canada.
Hamleys opened its first store in the country at Emerald Center mall in Albania’s capital city of Tirana on the 24th of November with a grand opening ceremony, according to a social media post by the company. Reliance Brands Ltd, the top-end retail venture of Reliance Retail had acquired Hamleys in 2019.
A training was conducted for the city’s store staff by Tanvir Rayatt, head of demonstrator and training, Hamleys UK, according to a LinkedIn post. This was done to ensure that the best service is offered to the customers, the post said.
Hamleys was founded by William Hamleys in 1760, Hamleys is one of the oldest retailers of toys in the world. The first store was opened by its founder in Holborn, London and now, it has reached every corner of the world. Starting with a small toy shop in the UK, Hamleys has now reached 18 countries such as the UK, India, UAE, China, and Russia with 170 stores.
In India, Hamleys has more than 100 stores spread over 36 cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Amritsar, Bangalore, Ahmedabad among other cities and the company’s products are also sold online.
Reliance Brands, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries acquired British toy retailer Hamleys in 2019 in an all-cash deal. Reliance Brands acquired a 100% stake in Hamleys Global Holdings (HGHL).
This year, Reliance Retail has been expanding or plans to add Hamleys stores in many countries including in the Middle Eastern markets of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, and North American markets of the US and Canada.
Recently, Hamleys opened its first store in the Delhi NCR region at WorldMark Gurugram. Read about it here.
