The Entertainer stockpiling toys for no-deal Brexit

Toy retailer, The Entertainer has announced it is stockpiling an extra 100 containers of toys in order to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

The Entertainer’s managing director Gary Grant said the stockpiling meant that the toy retailer had sent double the usual amount of stock to the UK, to ensure it was in place before possible hold ups at ports.

Grant said: “There will be no shortage of toys in the UK. The items we ship from the far east, we have brought the containers forward to make sure we have adequate stocks. It might take three months for things to settle down [after Brexit]. The second biggest time for buying toys is Easter.”

In terms of sales, The Entertainer reported a rise of 10% in total sales for the Christmas trading period, with Grant adding “during 2018, we opened 16 new stores and we traded better than double digits up”.

Stockpiling did not require the retailer to take extra warehouse space as it said it still had spare space from the Christmas trading period. Many retailers have become worried that a no-deal Brexit could lead to major delays for lorries at the country’s ports, due to changes in legislation.

Many retailers, such as Tesco and M&S have also been stockpiling food in preparation for no-deal, along with Sainsburys CEO Mike Coupe describing a no-deal Brexit as “highly disruptive”.

Retail Sector has contacted The Entertainer for further comment.