As reported by Reuters, the British toy store Hamleys opened the second-largest toy store in the world on Tuesday in central Moscow. The new shop covers roughly 6,750 square meters, or about 73,000 square feet, and features a rocket made of nearly two million Lego bricks.
According to a Reuters poll, the Russian economy is expected to contract by 4.3 percent this year, and to see inflation coming in at 13 percent at year-end. Nevertheless, Hamley’s chief executive Gudjon Reynisson says the retailer considers Russia to be, “a fantastic market for children’s toys retail sales,” and, “a growing market.”
Currently, the largest toy store in the world is the Toys “R” Us flagship store in Times Square. Toys “R” Us recently confirmed that the lease for its store in Times Square expires in 2016.