ToyZone was a British high-street chain of stores, predominantly selling toys and novelty items. It was best known for being one of the first online toy retailers, launching their online store in 1998. The company's online efforts were backed by TV presenter Jonathan Ross, Tom Hunter and Matthew Freud.[1]
History
ToyZone was formed in January 1995 by Philip James Goodall and Philip Mark Iain Goodall.[2] The chain originally operated a small network of toy stores.
In 1998, the chain began national recognition due to its online operations, and former director of Toys R Us, Jo Hall, became appointed as the company's head.[3]
The chain was one of the earliest online toy stores, and was battling sales against Toys R Us and eToys.[4]