The London toy retailer, Hamleys, reported a 14.5% increase in sales, with tourists spending on their children sited as a contributing factor.

Sales from merchandise from Harry Potter, Cars 2 and Transformers have been strong, and there have been growing numbers of international visitors to the Hamleys’ flagship store.

Hamleys is owned by the nationalised Icelandic bank, Landsbanki. The store’s chief executive is Gudjon Reynisson, who was born in Iceland. He said that the highest spending tourists were Scandinavians. “Historically, Scandinavians have travelled a lot to London, and Hamleys is a real destination,” and added, “I promise it’s not just my own friends and family.”

Reynisson was pleased with the results and believes in the international appeal of Hamleys, “The Hamleys brand travels very well as children and families enjoy playing with the same toys wherever they are in the world.”

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