Entertainer to hand ownership to staff

Britain’s largest toy retailer transfers 100 percent ownership to its 1,900 employees through an employee ownership trust by September.

The Entertainer hands ownership to staff with a bold move for the high street

The Entertainer, Britain's biggest toy shop chain, will transfer 100 percent of its ownership to an employee ownership trust by the end of September. The company, which operates 160 stores and more than 1,000 concessions in the UK, says the move will be funded from future profits and will include payments to the Grant family with no valuation disclosed. An employee advisory board will guide strategic direction, and staff will receive tax-free bonuses tied to the business’s profitability. The change affects not just the stores but the Early Learning Centre and Addo brands as well, and it follows a growing trend of employee ownership in the sector.

This is more than a governance shift. It signals a belief that shared ownership can align daily work with long term performance, especially in a consumer cycle that faces pressure from online rivals and price sensitivity. The new advisory board could strengthen local accountability, but it also concentrates decision rights among staff who may not have prior experience running a large public-facing business. The move, backed by industry voices, may pressure other retailers to consider similar models and could influence how customers view the brand as a community resource rather than just a shop window.

Highlights

What works in theory will be tested in a changing shopping landscape.