How to survive Amazon
by Marcel Hollerbach · World of Commerce
How to survive Amazon
Ian Jindal spoke with Paul Porter of Hamleys in the latest episode of Retailcraft. Listen to the full episode.
To survive in a retail landscape where Amazon swallows up to 40% of UK toy sales, Hamleys relies on immersive, destination-level experiences rather than competing on price. The London flagship ranks alongside Buckingham Palace for tourist footfall by treating the in-store experience as a survival mechanism, not just a retail garnish.
The brand's playbook for scale and survival hinges on a few core tactics:
The Generosity Principle: Letting customers actually handle and play with products is the ultimate sales tool. Daily opening ceremonies and hands-on demonstrations quickly turn hesitant adults into enthusiastic participants.
Curated Zoning: Floor-by-floor footfall data informs distinct zones tailored to different audiences, fiercely avoiding a bland, homogenized layout.
Structured Scaling: A strict written brand manual ensures the signature Hamleys design language translates globally. This prevents the retailer from devolving into a generic warehouse for partner brands like Lego and Hasbro, ensuring a cohesive identity from London to Manila.
Ruthless Merchandising: While brand warmth and customer sentiment (NPS) are vital metrics, they mask an industrial operation managing over 20,000 SKUs that swiftly cuts underperforming products.
Familiar Novelty: The floor balances passing global trends—like pop-ups and Pokémon takeovers—with enduring legacy acts, such as in-store magicians who have performed for over three decades.