Iconic 90s chain with over 120 locations announces closure of  ‘only toy shop within miles’ leaving shoppers gutted

AN iconic 90s concatenation with much than 120 sites successful the UK has announced the closure of “the lone artifact store wrong miles” arsenic shoppers are near gutted.

Smyths Toys successful Salisbury, Wiltshire, volition adjacent for bully successful January.

The branch, connected the Churchill Way West Retail Park, volition go a caller Lidl supermarket.

HomeSense, which is based adjacent doorway volition besides “vacate the site,” according to a readying exertion for the caller Lidl outlet, who person confirmed plans for the supermarket.

Smyths posted a connection connected social media, saying: “It is with heavy regret that we denote the closure of our Smyths Toys Superstores determination successful Salisbury, effectual January 2025.

“This determination was not made lightly, and we privation to explicit our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated unit and loyal customers who person supported america implicit the years.

“We recognize the interaction this whitethorn person connected the assemblage and volition bash everything imaginable to guarantee a creaseless modulation for our employees.

“As we attack the closure date, we invitation our customers to sojourn america this Christmas to bask our scope of toys and games.

“Thank you for being a portion of the Smyths Toys household successful Salisbury.

“We admit your knowing during this hard time.”

Fans of the artifact marque were gutted to perceive the news.

One idiosyncratic wrote connected a section Facebook radical page: “I anticipation not we request Smyths arsenic it's the lone artifact store successful Salisbury.”

Another said: “Great. Just great. The lone artifact store wrong miles replaced by different supermarket.”

While a 3rd added: “Noo! We usage Smyths and HomeSense each the time!!!”

A 4th idiosyncratic simply posted: “No, no, no……!!!!!!!!!”

A readying exertion was antecedently submitted to Wiltshire Council to marque changes to units 1 and 2 of the retail parkland successful bid to accommodate the Lidl store.

Urban Edge Architecture, connected behalf of Schroders Real Estate Investment Management, said reconfiguring the units, on with enactment to the car parking areas and work gait astatine the back, were indispensable to bring the fund store to the site.

Lidl has confirmed the plan, with the caller supermarket being the chain’s 2nd store successful Salisbury with 1 already successful Hatches Lane.

Lidl said the request for a 2nd was “driven by increasing section request for the discounter’s high-quality, affordable products”.

A spokesperson said the store volition diagnostic a income country of 1,453sq m, including a bakery and ‘Middle of Lidl’ aisle.

There volition besides beryllium lawsuit toilets with baby-changing facilities and ample parking.

A spokesperson added: “It volition besides make astir 40 caller jobs successful the country with caller starters benefiting from immoderate of the highest wage rates successful the sector.”

It comes aft Smyths fans were raving aft a savvy shopper spotted an amazing discount code that helps parents get £10 disconnected Christmas presents.

Smyths has much than 100 stores crossed the UK and you tin find your nearest 1 by utilizing the locator instrumentality connected its website.

It comes aft Aldi and Lidl have confirmed the relaunch of their fashionable woody artifact scope with prices starting astatine conscionable £1.99.

And shoppers volition beryllium pleased to cognize 1 of Britain's favourite bargain stores volition beryllium extending its opening hours to assistance shoppers implicit the Christmas period.

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