Hamleys has had several owners over the past decade or so who have all tried to extend it globally. Iceland’s Landsbanki Islands Hf sold it to France’s Ludendo Groupe in 2012 and China’s C.Banner, which exited this week, paid 100 million pounds for it in 2015. Some 88 of those are in India under a franchise with Reliance.Hamleys made a pre-tax loss of 9.2 million pounds in 2017, the last available accounts, compared with a profit of 1.7 million pounds in the year earlier. The loss was struck after restructuring costs and the expenses associated with exiting some loss-making stores and international markets. So that’s a good start.But even with its considerable experience, turning a trophy into a titan isn’t a given.

Source: Economic Times May 10, 2019 14:26 UTC