Legendary toy shop Hamleys is opening two new London stores

Photograph: Alex Segre / Shutterstock.com

Walking down Regent Street, you can’t fail to notice Hamleys. Shoppers young and old gather under its bright red awnings as actors dressed as elves, cuddly bears or other lederhosened storybook characters welcome crowds through big glass doors.

Hamleys first opened its doors in 1760 and it remains the oldest and biggest toy shop in the world, spanning 54,000 square feet over seven themed floors. Its London flagship isn’t the only place to buy its iconic stuffed teddies or wave a Harry Potter wand, either. The kids’ nirvana operates hundreds of shops across 13 countries including Italy, India, the UAE, China, the Philippines and Mexico.

And now Hamleys has just announced that two more stores are coming to the Big Smoke. 

Adding to existing travel shops at London Bridge and St Pancras stations, Hamleys is set to open a 500sq ft pop-up store at Liverpool Street Station in early May. Expect a range of plush bears and animals, as well as pocket-money toys including slime, magic tricks and mini cars. Plus, if you’re gearing up for a long train ride, you’ll be able to grab card games, sticker books and compact board games for the journey.

Photograph: ThamKC / Shutterstock.com

As for the second new store, it’s expected to debut in Heathrow Terminal 2 in mid-June. The 1,000sq ft space will be the second Hamleys in the airport, as there’s already one in Terminal 4. Its offering will include the signature bear range, a similar selection of travel games and puzzles, as well as tech toys, dolls, action figures and Lego and Playmobil construction sets.

Heathrow was crowned the best airport in the world for shopping this year, so when Hamleys in T2 opens next month it’ll join other bougie brand names including Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Burberry and Harrods.

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