Hamleys arrives in Albania!

Walk through the doors and enter a world of fun, magic, and theatre at the finest toy shop in the world.

The story of Hamleys began in Cornwall, England, with a man named William Hamley, who could have become a tin miner or a fisherman… but he had other ideas. William dreamed of opening a toy shop, and in 1760 he did just that—little did he know it would become the Finest Toy Shop in the World.

Starting humbly as Noah’s Ark in 1760, by 1837 Hamleys had already become a famous landmark in London, with families flocking to visit the “joy shop.”

The shop was so successful that in 1881 a new branch was opened on Regent Street to meet the extraordinarily growing demand for Hamleys’ entertainment, magic, and theatre for everyone to enjoy.

Hamleys added five more floors of toys! We can only imagine the spectacle—with toy theatres, dolls, pedal cars, and miniature model trains moving across what became the world’s largest toy shop.

Hamleys faced hard times in the late 1920s, along with everyone else.

In 1931, the store was forced to close for the first time, and its fleet of horse-drawn delivery vans came to a halt. But this story has a happy ending! Walter Lines, Chairman of the Tri-Ang company, bought Hamleys and worked hard to bring customers back. In 1938, his efforts were rewarded.

Did you know… Queen Mary granted Hamleys a Royal Warrant in 1938?

Not even World War II stopped Hamleys when the building was bombed five times. Wearing tin hats, staff stood at the store’s entrance, rushing to gather toys and hand them out at the door.

The Festival of Britain in 1951 brought a grand doll salon as well as an extensive model railway display to amaze children and their parents. When she ascended the throne, Queen Elizabeth II recalled the toys her grandmother had given her. In turn, she gave Hamleys toys to her own children.

In 1955, Her Majesty honored Walter Lines with a second Royal Warrant as “Toy and Sports Goods Retailer.” But it was the smiles of children that truly rewarded Walter Lines and his team.

From one man’s dream to bring toys and joy to the children of Cornwall in 1760, to millions of children visiting from around the world.

Today, Hamleys can be found at its famous location at 188–196 Regent Street, London, England. Walk through the doors and enter a world of fun, magic, and theatre at the finest toy shop in the world. Amid the clicking, buzzing, whistling, and jingling of toys, you’ll hear children laughing with excitement as they explore and play across seven wonderful floors of the best toys and games.

Also, Hamleys in Albania opened for the first time on November 23, 2022, later expanding to other locations, always preserving the magic of Hamleys. Today, you can visit us at our stores in Tirana (Emerald Center), Pristina (Prishtina Mall), Rinas Airport, as well as our online store at www.hamleys.al.