Smyths

Infobox_Company
company_name = Smyths Toys
company_type = Private
foundation = c.1987
location = flagicon|Republic of Ireland Galway, Republic of Ireland
industry = Retail
products = Toys
homepage = [http://www.toys.ie/ www.toys.ie] [http://www.smythstoys.com/ www.smythstoys.com]

Smyths is an Irish toy superstore chain founded c.1987, and the largest toy retailer in Ireland, claiming to have 60% of the €320M market.Webb, Nick (2008) " [http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/smyths-toys-with-a-plan-for-expansion-into-uk-124507.html Smyths toys with a plan for expansion into UK] ", Irish Independent, April 22 2007] " [http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/3609262.Toy_maga_store_for_Rayleigh_Weir/ Toy mega store for Rayleigh Weir] ", Essex Echo, September 13 2008] It is a family-run company, with four Smyth brothers (Anthony, Padraig, Liam and Thomas) running the business." [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0210/1170364139346.html Four toy store founders share €14m as sales boom] ", Irish Times, 2 February 2007] In the year ending March 2006, Smyths employed 692 staff, had sales totalling €184M, and had profits of €6.2M, down from €11.7M the previous year.Kehoe, Ian (2007) " [http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2007/02/11/story20962.asp Profits halved at Smyths Toys ] ", Sunday Business Post, February 11 2007] Ten years earlier, the company had just four stores and sales of €20 million.Smyths operates 19 stores in the Republic of Ireland, 6 in Northern Ireland and a further 8 in England.http://www.toys.ie/Store_Locator.aspx] http://www.smythstoys.com/Store_Locator.aspx] The company is expanding heavily not just in Ireland but also in the UK. Smyths will soon be opening its first Welsh store in Cardiff at the Capital Retail Park, part of the new Cardiff City stadium development in the Leckwith area of the city, [ [http://www.jobswales.co.uk/english/page.cfm?cfnocache=true&location_id=9021&method=default&objectid=8180774&search=search&searchLangCode=en&searchtype=Advanced&tab=quick&tmExt=html&sort_type=star&todo=details&classified_id=240823182&headline=Software%20Zone%20Sales%20Assistants%20job%20with%20Smyths%20Toy%20Superstore%20in%20Leckwith%20%20on%20jobswales Job advert for staff for new store in Cardiff] ] , with another "giant" store due to open in mid-September at Rayleigh Weir in Essex, England.

Smyths sell a wide range of toys for all ages of children, and also sell a wide range of electronic equipment such as computer games and consoles.

References

External links

* [http://www.toys.ie/ Irish website]
* [http://www.smythstoys.com/ UK website]