Tesco expands 'trial' to 850 stores in major supermarket shake-up

Partnership with the Entertainer first began in October 2022, when the toy retailer opened 35 concession stands in 35 Tesco store

Tesco has expanded a trial to 850 stores in a major supermarket shake-up. Tesco's partnership with the Entertainer first began in October 2022, when the toy retailer opened 35 concession stands in 35 Tesco stores.

Now The Entertainer has completed its rollout of more than 850 toy shop-in-shops within Tesco stores. The toy shop has launched in 861 large Tesco stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland in the past eight months, with an average of 100 new concessions opening each month.

The roll-out involved over 4.5 million toys being delivered to stock the new concessions – a volume that would stretch an impressive 603 miles if stacked side-by-side. With thousands of The Entertainer’s products now in place across the supermarket’s stores, the partnership means The Entertainer has more points of presence across the UK and Ireland than any other toy retailer.

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The Entertainer chief executive Andrew Murphy OBE said: “This rollout has significantly increased our retail footprint in the UK and Ireland – putting over 90% of the UK’s shoppers within easy reach of our unmatched toy offer. The speed and impact of this growth is a testament to our team’s agility, attention to detail and a deep understanding of customer needs.

“Our partnership with Tesco is the biggest and most important step we’ve taken in expanding our unique ‘Toy Box’ retail solution for multi-category retailers, but we look forward to on-boarding further retail partners, at home and abroad, in the coming months.”

Tesco managing director of home and clothing Jan Marchant added: “We’re delighted The Entertainer rollout to Tesco stores across the UK is now complete, meaning even more customers can access their great range of toys. It’s now even easier for customers to pick up a gift for their little ones in store, alongside their usual grocery shop.”