Hawkin’s Bazaar portfolio and online store brought to the market

The wellknown novelty gift and toy shop, which began life as a mail order sales business in the 1970s, has grown over the years to include an online retail platform and national portfolio of 23 stores, most of which are situated in dominant city centres or strong shopping centre locations, plus several dedicated Christmas pop-ups.

Hawkin’s Bazaar has become established as a high street ‘bricks and clicks’ institution and staple toy and gift retailer for shoppers during the festive season, providing a unique offering of toys and gadgets for all ages and gifts for special occasions. The business has an experienced team that manages an additional pop-up shop portfolio of up to 15 stores over the Christmas and New Year trading period. The retail stores are occupied on relatively short leases and offer scope to optimise the store portfolio in the short term.

Offers are invited for the transfer of 100% of Hawkin’s Bazaar Limited, although consideration will be given to offers for the constituent parts.

The recognisable retail brand has 23 stores in prominent city centre locations and shopping centres, including Bluewater in Kent, The Galleries in Bristol and Touchwood Shopping Centre in Solihull, and stocks a wider range of their novelty gifts and toys on its web platform. Its pop-up stores, which generate significant sales during the Christmas period, the retailer’s busiest time of year, have previously appeared in Liverpool ONE, Exeter City Centre, the Trafford Centre and Lakeside.

Operated within the Tobar International group alongside the wholesale businesses, Hawkin’s Bazaar’s store portfolio, pop-ups and online platform have now been brought to the market as Tobar looks to withdraw from direct retailing to focus on the wholesale sector.

David Mordecai, CEO of Tobar International comments, “Hawkin’s Bazaar is a very strong retail brand with tremendous heritage both on the high street and online. There is a great opportunity to take the business to the next level though development of the omni-channel approach.”

Nick Bywater, Associate Director at Christie & Co, who is handling the sale, comments, “The UK is the largest toy market in Europe and 37% of toy sales are now on-line. The sale of Hawkin’s Bazaar is an exciting opportunity for new or existing retailers to acquire a flexible store portfolio and to further develop an on-line presence with highly recognisable branding. 

“The business has as established high street brand with a turnover of £15.28m in 2018, with the on-line sales accounting for 12.3% of turnover. Opportunity exists for adding value to the business by repositioning the store portfolio in more dominant retail centres, further expansion of the profitable pop-up store portfolio, and through further development of on-line sales via Hawkin.com and Stocking-fillers.co.uk. We expect to see strong interest in the brand and the online sales platform.”

Contact Nick Bywater nick.bywater@christie.com

 

For further information on this press release, contact:

Fiona Fieldhouse, Head of Corporate Communications

P: 020 7227 0793 or E: fiona.fieldhouse@christie.com