Smyths
Smyths Toys Superstores is an Irish multinational chain provider of children's toys and entertainment products with over 200 shops throughout Ireland, the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Austria which are owned by the Smyth family.
The current logo, in use since 2000 | |
A Smyths shop in Newport, United Kingdom | |
Type | Private |
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Industry | Retail |
Founded | 23 December 1986 Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland |
Founders |
|
Headquarters | , Ireland |
Number of locations | c.200 stores |
Area served | |
Products | Toys |
Owner | Smyth family[1] |
Website | smythstoys |
Group revenues for 2019 are on course to be close to €1.4bn.[2]
The company is headquartered in Lyrr Building 1 in the Mervue Business Park, Galway, Ireland, and it has additional offices in Belfast and London.
History
The company is run by four brothers, Tony, Padraig, Liam and Thomas Smyth. The company was founded in Claremorris, County Mayo on 23 December 1986 .[3] Smyths is Ireland's largest toy retailer.[4] 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.[5][6]
Expansion to central Europe
On 24 April 2018, Smyths acquired Toys "R" Us stores in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.[7] In 2019, all the stores in those countries were re-branded as such to Smyths.[8]
Stores and subsidiaries
In total, Smyths operates over 110 shops: 21 shops in Ireland, 7 in Northern Ireland and 83 in Great Britain.[9] Smyths Toys UK Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.[10][11]
References
- "Meet the Smyths, the Mayo family turning toy retailing into child's play".
- "Smyths Toys now the most successful Irish retailer abroad". Dublin. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- "Smyths Toys Unlimited Company | Irish Legal & Business Services Company & Director Check". Solocheck. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- "Toy mega store for Rayleigh Weir", Essex Echo, 13 September 2008
- Heneghan, Tomás (27 July 2016). "Smyths toy store evacuated after blaze". Irish Independent.
- Pownall, Sylvia (25 August 2016). "Shoppers queue outside Irish toy store from 1am for these MASSIVE bargains". Irish Mirror.
- "Smyths Toys to buy Toys R Us in Germany, Austria and Switzerland". Irish Times. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- Kurth, Luke (12 January 2019). "ToysRUs wird zu Smyth Toys: Die ersten Filialen tragen neue Namen". Stone Wars (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- "Smyths Toys sees UK profits soar 70pc - Independent.ie".
- Deegan, Gordon (17 September 2018). "Smyths Toys' UK sales top half-billion mark for first time". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- "SMYTHS TOYS UK LIMITED - Overview". Companies House. Retrieved 27 June 2019.