Town says tearful goodbye as beloved toy shop shuts its doors forever

By HOAR Team 3 May, 2025 6 mins read 95 Views

God. I hate writing these stories. Another childhood haven gone, another empty storefront on our already struggling high streets.

The Entertainer in Barrow-in-Furness locked up for teh final time today, leaving local families with one less reason to visit their town centre. I actually visited this store back in 2019 with my nephew, and the staff couldn't have been more helpful when I was desperately hunting for that stupid Baby Shark toy everyone was obsessed with. (He played with it for approximately 3 days before abandoning it, naturally.)

Eight years of magic... gone just like that

This particular branch opened in 2017, taking over what used to be an Argos. For eight years, it's been the go-to place for birthday presents, Christmas shopping panics, and those "please stop screaming in the supermarket and I'll buy you something small" bribes that every parent relies on occasionally.

Keith Stenhouse, The Entertainer's Head of Region, sounded genuinely gutted when explaining the closure: "We are sad to be closing our Barrow in Furness store as of 3rd May and would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support."

The brutal truth? It wasn't making enough money.

What about the PEOPLE?

Stenhouse did promise they're "committed to supporting our employees through this situation" - which, let's be honest, usually means the bare minimum required by law. I reached out to a former retail worker friend about these kinds of corporate statements. Her response: "Yeah, 'support' usually means a sad meeting and maybe a reference letter if you're lucky."

This isn't just another faceless shop, though.

The Barrow branch had become something of a local hero. They donated mountains of toys to Furness General Hospital's children's ward their first Christmas in business. They've supported local charities consistently adn even got involved with Barrow BID, which has been fighting to breathe life back into the struggling town centre.

The customers are absolutely devastated

Social media exploded with disappointed locals when the news broke. One customer wrote: "Staff where brilliant I wish them every bit of luck in future as they always where very interactive with the kids it's such a shame."

Another added simply: "It's a shame I always go here with grandson."

A third comment hit the nail on the head: "It's such a shame it's a lovely shop for the kiddies and it's in town which is so important."

John Edwards, who managed the store for years, called it an "asset" to the community and shared his heartbreak at the closure.

"It was always important to me it wasn't just a shop, it had to be an experience and be somewhere kids were excited to go – it's a huge shame to lose that."

Is this the beginning of the end?

Listen. This isn't an isolated incident. The Entertainer has been quietly shutting stores across the UK for months now.

Cameron Toll in Edinburgh? Gone. Croydon in south London? Shuttered. Luton Point shopping centre lost its branch back in January, prompting one local to declare: "Luton is on its knees."

I spent £45 in The Entertainer just last weekend buying a birthday present for my friend's daughter. The staff helped me pick something age-appropriate (I'm clueless about what 7-year-olds like these days) and even gift-wrapped it for me. Try getting that kind of service online!

Corporate speak vs. reality

Andrew Murphy OBE, the group chief executive, gave the standard corporate line about the Luton closure: "Like most large national retailers, we continuously assess potential new locations while deciding whether to renew those shops which have reached the end of their lease arrangements."

Translation: if it's not making enough cash, it's toast.

Poor Barrow. With over 160 UK stores still operating, The Entertainer remains Britain's biggest toy chain... just not in their town anymore.

I walked past our local toy shop yesterday. Empty on a Saturday afternoon. Makes you wonder who's next.

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