Founder to hand over UK’s biggest toy shop chain to staff

The Entertainer shop, founded in 1981, grew to more than 160 stores and over 1,000 concessions. Founder Cary Grant is stepping away and transferring 100% ownership of the family-owned business to an employee trust. That means staff will get a share of the profits and have a voice in how the firm is run. The chief executive of the Employee Ownership Association said this shift could “futureproof beloved brands, root jobs in local communities and inject wealth into regional economies.” Grant recognized the employees in a statement: “We’d like to send our sincere thanks to all our employees, who have worked hard to make The Entertainer what it is today. When we started the business, we had a vision of keeping an unwavering focus on children and community through creating memories, inspiring wonder and delivering outstanding service. We couldn’t be more proud that this still remains at the heart of the business today.”