BRITAIN'S biggest toy chain is set to shut one of its town centre sites for good in just days.
The Entertainer, which operates more than 160 stores across the UK, announced its outlet in , , would close early next month.
Retailers have struggled to keep stores open in 2025 due to difficulties with economic conditions, with The Entertainer having .
The store in Barrow had opened in the former unit of the town centre in 2017.
But now, closing down posters have been pictured in the windows of the much-loved store ahead of its closure on May 3.
Keith Stenhouse, Head of Region at The Entertainer, said: “We are sad to be our Barrow in Furness store as of 3rd May and would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support.
“We’re proud of the service we’ve offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation.”
He explained that the company had to, very rarely, look at shutting standalone stores that were “no longer profitable”.
In addition to its 160 physical stores, the brand also operates 861 shops in large outlets across the UK.
The Barrow store had gained notoriety in the past for its many large donations to charity, reports The Mail.
In the year it opened, it handed over a large haul of toys to the children's ward at Furness General Hospital in a gesture.
John Edwards, who was a manager at the store for a number of years, said he was “incredibly sad” to see it close, calling the site an “asset” to the community.
He explained the company had also made large donations to local charities and was involved in Barrow BID, a group which aims to revitalise the town centre.
John added: “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.”
This comes as the chain already shuttered a number of stores over the past six months.
These included outlets in East Kilbride, , Birmingham Fort, High Wycombe, , Croydon and Sutton Coldfield.
In January, its , sparking dismay among local residents.
One local said, after hearing the news: “ is on its knees”.
Another added that they were “gutted” the branch was closing.
Andrew Murphy OBE, group chief executive at The Entertainer, explained the store had closed after its lease agreement came to an end.
Speaking at the time of the closure, he said: “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.”
It comes just months after the chain completed its roll-out of concessions stands at more than 850 Tesco stores across the UK.
Many retailers have been struggling to keep stores open this year, in light of the recent hikes to employer's .
On April 6, from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent.
This decision, announced in , has led to a number of shop closures.
Earlier this month, announced its store in would close on April 12 due to the rise in National Insurance.
also said it would close one of its locations in“due to the significant increases in and NationalInsurance”.
