Toymaster to open in Market Street in York

Toymaster should be open by October 14 in Market Street, in the former Early Learning Centre premises.

The firm sells traditional toys from some of the best-known toy brands, and plans a range of promotions to coincide with its opening, including handing out 2,000 goody bags.

Toymaster is a brand owned by East Midlands Toy Company. It has stores already in Bridlington, Newark, Melton Mowbray and Retford.

Director James Colcough said the received the keys last week, and work refitting and stocking the store is well under way.

He told The Press York seemed ideal as a location to appeal to local residents and parents, but also gift-buying tourists.

He said: "As well as parents and children, the gift-buying public are our main target market. York will be our flagship store, our biggest store and our store with highest turnover, and it will be the most prominent location we have gone to.

"We have wanted to do this for a while. We have looked at Lincoln, Doncaster and Sheffield but York, with its heritage, fits in with what we want and we can do well here."

The company will employee six permanent staff, and will also recruit seasonal staff. Recruitment has already begun.

Mr Colcough said the company sold traditional toys, including from big brands such as Lego, Playmobil, Hot Wheels, Sylvanian Families and Brio, rather than games consoles and such like.

York has several small independent toy shops in the city-centre, including Chyldes Play in Goodramgate and Corkys in Museum Street, but this will be the largest new toy shop in the city centre since the Early Learning Centre closed, following the closure several years earlier of Toyworld in King's Square.