Smyths Toys to open new Stockport store

Smyths Toys is to open a new store in Stockport’s Peel Centre, occupying the former H&M unit at the town centre retail park.

The upcoming opening was revealed by the Manchester Evening News, after images of Smyths Toys posters in place at the vacant store began circulating over Facebook. The toy retailer has not formally revealed plans for the store, and an opening date is currently unknown.

The new store will see the H&M unit brought back into use after the Swedish fashion brand closed the branch in January 2021. Plans had been previously approved that would allow the retail park’s owners, the Peel Group, to divide the former large H&M unit into three smaller shops, with the use purposes expanded to allow food and drink outlets to also move into the site.

Local residents have welcomed the store opening, with Smyths Toys nearest outlets to Stockport currently in Oldham and Salford, and will be the only large toy store in the town centre.

Further development near the retail park will also see a new retail unit constructed opposite on the site of the former Railway pub and Carpet Right store accessed from Great Portwood Street. Canadian coffee shop brand, Tim Hortons, also announced in March 2021 they would be opening a site on the estate, repurposing the Frankie & Benny’s unit for a drive-thru location.

Smyths Toys will join the likes of Wilko, The Range and Next, among others, when its new store opens at the Stockport retail park.