Best Toy Stores in London
London is one of the best cities in the world for toy shopping because it combines famous flagship stores, heritage toyshops, department-store toy departments, museum gift shops, hobby retailers, licensed collectables and premium children’s gifts.
For overseas shoppers, the appeal is not only the store experience. It is access to UK-only ranges, limited releases, niche collectables and gifts that may be hard to find at home.
London toy stores and toy departments worth knowing
The best store depends on what you are buying. A collector looking for licensed figures has different needs from someone buying a premium birthday gift, a model kit or a traditional wooden toy.
Hamleys
Hamleys is the famous London toy destination and a natural starting point for overseas shoppers. It is often browsed for gifts, branded toys, plush, games, premium children’s products and London-themed toy purchases.
Harrods and Selfridges toy departments
Department-store toy sections can be useful for premium gifts, beautifully packaged items and branded ranges. These are more likely to suit gift buyers than bargain hunters.
The Entertainer
The Entertainer is a mainstream UK toy retailer with a broad range across children’s toys, games, figures and seasonal products. It can be useful when you are comparing UK toy pricing or availability.
LEGO Store Leicester Square
The LEGO Store in Leicester Square is a major attraction for LEGO fans. Overseas shoppers may look for UK availability, exclusive sets, seasonal releases or branded gifts, but boxed LEGO can become bulky.
Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop
Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop is known for traditional, theatrical and heritage-style toys. It is the kind of store that can appeal to shoppers looking for something more distinctive than a standard toy chain.
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a strong option for pop culture, comics, figures, collectables and licensed products. It is often more relevant for collectors than for ordinary children’s toys.
London museum shops
Museum shops such as the Science Museum and Natural History Museum shops can be useful for educational toys, books, science kits, dinosaur products, puzzles and London-themed gifts.
What makes a toy order worth forwarding
International forwarding works best for toys that are:
- compact relative to their value
- hard to source locally
- part of a collectable range
- UK-exclusive or limited release
- suitable as premium gifts
- safely packed for international movement
Large low-value toys can be poor value once shipping is included. A boxed toy may look light but still price highly if the packaging is bulky.
Check batteries and restrictions
Toy orders are usually straightforward, but you should still check whether the item contains batteries, magnets, liquids, aerosols, slime, paints or other components that may affect shipping.
If the product is electronic, unusually large or designed for very young children, read the product details carefully and consider whether it will be easy to return if something goes wrong.
Tips for overseas shoppers
Before placing an order, check:
- whether the store delivers within the UK
- the size of the boxed item
- whether batteries are included
- whether the product is fragile or collectable
- whether the final landed cost still makes sense
For gifts, allow extra time. International delivery estimates are not guarantees, especially around peak retail periods.
Where Jetkrate fits
If a London toy store only ships within the UK, Jetkrate can provide a UK delivery address for eligible orders. Once the parcel arrives, you can arrange onward international forwarding.
This works best for thoughtful purchases and compact higher-value items rather than bulky baskets of low-value toys.