Largest Toy Store in the World Opens a Branch in Beijing

When it comes to legendary toy stores, none are more notable than London’s Hamleys. Known for being the world’s largest and oldest toy retailer (founded in 1760), they began their soft opening in Wangfujing on Nov 30, at the former location of New China Children’s Store. So far, they have attracted considerable attention with their larger than life mecca of toys. The official opening of Dec 23 couldn't come at a better time given that Christmas is just around the corner.

Needless to say, upon our visit we were overwhelmed by not only the size of the store, the hordes of people that lined up to purchase items, but also all of the interactive demonstration areas they had set up to show off all of the biggest brands’ top items this season.

With five floors of kid-focused inventory, each is divided by age group, and other items like clothing, stuffed animals, and maternity gear just to name a few along with dedicated areas for brands like Lego, Nerf, and Play-Doh. Once we elbowed our way through, there was definitely something about being in a toy store this size that threw us straight in the mood for the holidays.

It was about a year ago that Hamleys announced that they would enter the Chinese market with 100 stores, which many news outlets attributed to the emergence of the two-child policy. This will undeniably lead to a boom in all kid-centered markets, so it must have seemed like the right time to jump into the fray.

As we mentioned before, we'd suggest avoiding a visit on a Saturday afternoon as the crowds were overwhelming. Head over on a weekday or in the evening so as to dodge getting stuck waiting for the register. After all, there’s nothing like queueing all day in order to empty your wallet to put you in the Christmas spirit.

Hamleys
255 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District
东城区王府井大街255号

This article originally appeared on our sister account beijingkids.

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