Hamleys toys with its rivals

Hamleys has confirmed that underlying sales in the week before Christmas rose nearly 6 per cent compared with the same period the year before. A report in The Times today said that the retailer had benefited over the holiday period from holding off its Sale until December 27. Improvements in logistics and opening more doors at the front of its Regent Street store were also cited as positive factors in the sales lift.

The results are in stark contrast to the rest of the toy market, with Woolworths, Argos and Mothercare all stating the sector had been slower than previous years.