Smyths Toys Superstores
TypePrivate
IndustryRetail
PredecessorToys "R" Us (United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany and Austria)
Founded23 December 1986 (1986-12-23)
Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland
Founders
  • Tony Smyth
  • Padraig Smyth
  • Liam Smyth
  • Thomas "Tommy" Smyth
Headquarters
Galway
,
Ireland
Number of locations
c.275 stores
Area served
ProductsToys
Video games
Revenuec €2 billion
OwnerSmyth family[1]
Websitesmythstoys.com

Smyths Toys Superstores is an Irish multinational chain provider of children's toys and entertainment products with over 275 shops throughout Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, and Netherlands. The business is owned by the Smyth family.[2]

The company is headquartered in Lyrr Building 1 in the Mervue Business Park, Galway, Ireland; it has additional offices in Belfast and London.

The group's turnover reached €1.465 billion in pandemic-hit 2020 with the majority of sales coming from the UK market.[3]

History

Before Smyths became a toy store it was a newsagent.

The company is run by three brothers, Tony, Padraig and Thomas Smyth. A fourth brother and director, Liam, died in July 2023.[4] The company was founded in Claremorris, County Mayo on 23 December 1986.[5] Smyths is Ireland's largest toy retailer.[6] The Globe Retail Park in Naas, Ireland was subject to a fire on 27 July 2016 that destroyed one of the shop's stockrooms, causing the shop to temporarily close, with operations being moved until repairs could be made.[7][8]

Expansion to central Europe

On 24 April 2018, Smyths acquired Toys "R" Us stores in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.[9] In 2019, all the stores in those countries were rebranded to Smyths.[10]

In July 2022, Smyths acquired French toy chain PicWicToys in France out of receivership, taking over 41 stores, 2 warehouses and a head office.[11]

[12]

Licensed brands

Stores and subsidiaries

Smyths stores by country in 2022
Country Number
of stores
England, Scotland and Wales 108
Switzerland 11
Austria 17
Germany 67
France 41
Northern Ireland 7
Republic of Ireland 21
Netherlands 3
Totals 275

In total, Smyths operates over 272 stores across 6 countries: 21 stores in Ireland, 117 in the United Kingdom,[14] 68 in Germany,[15] 16 in Austria,[16] 10 in Switzerland[17] and 41 in France. Smyths Toys UK Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.[18][19]

In 2023, Smyths confirmed it would expand into the Netherlands for the first time with new stores.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Meet the Smyths, the Mayo family turning toy retailing into child's play". The Irish Times.
  2. ↑ Kehoe, Ian (19 November 2023). "The march of Smyths Toys: Rewinding the week that was". The Currency. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Toy giant Smyths sees group turnover hit €1.46bn". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Liam Smyth obituary: Founder of Smyths Toys and proud Mayo man". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Smyths Toys Unlimited Company | Irish Legal & Business Services Company & Director Check". Solocheck. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Toy mega store for Rayleigh Weir", Essex Echo, 13 September 2008
  7. ↑ Heneghan, Tomás (27 July 2016). "Smyths toy store evacuated after blaze". Irish Independent.
  8. ↑ Pownall, Sylvia (25 August 2016). "Shoppers queue outside Irish toy store from 1am for these MASSIVE bargains". Irish Mirror.
  9. ↑ "Smyths Toys to buy Toys R Us in Germany, Austria and Switzerland". Irish Times. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  10. ↑ Kurth, Luke (12 January 2019). "ToysRUs wird zu Smyth Toys: Die ersten Filialen tragen neue Namen". Stone Wars (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Smyths Toys acquires PicWic Toys". 6 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Smyths acquires PicWic Toys as it expands into France". independent. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  13. ↑ Smyths official website
  14. ↑ "Smyths Toys sees UK profits soar 70pc - Independent.ie". 20 September 2017.
  15. ↑ "Marktsuche".
  16. ↑ "Marktsuche".
  17. ↑ "Marktsuche".
  18. ↑ Deegan, Gordon (17 September 2018). "Smyths Toys' UK sales top half-billion mark for first time". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  19. ↑ "SMYTHS TOYS UK LIMITED - Overview". Companies House. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  20. ↑ "Breaking News: Smyths confirms store expansion in The Netherlands". Toy World Magazine | The business magazine with a passion for toys. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
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