The Hull based company provided signage for a major roll-out of more than 850 brand-new toy shops within Tesco stores
In October 2024, toy retailer The Entertainer, completed a major roll-out of more than 850 brand-new toy shops within Tesco stores. The signage for this roll-out was provided by Hull-based Sapphire Signs.
The toyshop’s significant expansion across 861 large Tesco stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland was achieved in just eight months, with an average of 100 new concessions opening each month.
Dan Casey of Sapphire Signs said, “Although we already had a long relationship with the Entertainer, the project had to go through a complex tender, and we were delighted to be successful in that. The stores were completed between February 2024 and mid-October 2024, giving us just 33 weeks to complete 857 installations. It was a fantastic achievement from everyone involved that the project was completed on time.”
Andrew Murphy OBE, Group Chief Executive Officer of The Entertainer, said, “Over the eight months up to October, we successfully rolled out The Entertainer Toy Shop across more than 850 Tesco stores, and I couldn’t be prouder of our teams and the great work they’ve done. Just as importantly, we’re all hugely appreciative of the support we received from colleagues across Tesco throughout the year.”
Dan adds, We utilised the skills of our experienced team to manage this huge project successfully. We employed three new staff and fourteen fitters and had to create additional warehouse space. Manufacturing was kept in-house, with split shifts put in place to avoid disruption to the normal workflow but also to increase the productivity required for this rollout.”
The first steps were to trial the project and understand the timeframes required for each installation. By trialling the project, Sapphire was able to identify issues and rectify them. “With clear timeframes for each store, we could determine how many stores they could complete in a week and geographically where they would be,” says Dan.
Regular meetings between The Entertainer, Tesco and Sapphire Signs took place, with all the team contributing to any issues they encountered. “Communication between Sapphire Signs the Entertainer and Tesco was the key to the success of this project. The client told us that this level of communication and commitment was very much appreciated and contributed to the overall success of the project.”
He continues, “The speed and impact of this rollout is a testament to the team at Sapphire. It demonstrates our agility, attention to detail and understanding of our clients’ needs from the very start of the project.”
The project received bronze in the Rollout category of this year’s Sign and Wrap Awards. Daniel concludes, “I am incredibly proud of the team at Sapphire. Together with the support from our suppliers, we ensured this rollout ran smoothly and exceeded expectations. The hard work of everyone involved has not gone unnoticed, and it is great to receive the recognition this rollout deserves.”