Welcome back to the Retail Arbitrage Series. Off the back of our Argos guide, were now moving onto The Entertainer, a dedicated toy store with a national footprint and a ton of opportunity if you know how to approach it.
The Entertainer isn’t just a high street toy shop, it’s become deeply integrated into Tesco stores across the UK, which is not a great thing to be honest, Tesco’s toy section was very good prior to this. It’s not the easiest store to source from but if you master click and collect, stack vouchers, and track price drops, you can turn it into a decent place to store, especially in Q4.
How The Entertainer Works
The Entertainer operates through three key channels:
- High street shops with full toy ranges.
- Tesco stores with less selection than the high street stores.
- A online website that plays a huge part in sourcing (more on that after).
Most Entertainer stores are stocked with:
- LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Playmobil, Star Wars, Marvel/DC.
- Babies toys, board games, roleplay, collectibles, and seasonal items
They run regular sectional deals, like “25% off Barbie” or “2 for £15” multibuys. These offers are often synced across stores and online, meaning you can plan your pickups and visits in advance, particularly useful when building out RA routes.
Where to Find Profitable Items
You can source profitable products from The Entertainer in store and online, but what makes The Entertainer worth including into your route is their click and collect system.
Here’s why click and collect is key:
- You can secure deals online in advance without risking stock selling out.
- You get to guarantee your pickups, meaning every stop on your RA route has profit waiting.
- You can build multiple click and collect orders across stores.
- You can stack multiple discounts (more on that below), increasing margin.
To maximise sourcing at The Entertainer:
- Scan toys with reduced price stickers in store.
- Focus on the end of aisles, seasonal sections, and checkout displays.
- Online, focus on clearance, red tag events, and multi buy promotions.
HOT TIP:
Run The Entertainer through Arbisource. Arbi will be able to scan he website quickly, giving you more chance of finding profitable products. Pair Arbisource scans with Discord stock checkers and you’ll be able to build up your click and collect runs in advance.
How Clearance Works
Clearance in The Entertainer is well marked with red and yellow stickers. You’ll usually find it:
- Near the tills or front of store
- On end caps of aisles
- Sometimes in glass cabinets or standalone displays
Unlike some stores, clearance isn’t buried, you’ll often see it positioned clearly. A lot of the clearance wont be sold on Amazon but you can always look to see if you can sell the heavily discounted on eBay, try and think outside the box.
Best Time of Year for The Entertainer
Like a lot of RA stores, Q4 is the main event here. The Entertainer is decent for sourcing between October and December, especially if you’ve prepped your click and collect baskets.
That said, other opportunities include:
- January – leftover Christmas stock on big brands like LEGO and Barbie.
- Spring/Summer – discounts on outdoor toys, board games, and craft sets.
- Back to school – sometimes includes discounts on lunchboxes, stationery bundles, etc.
- Early December – In 2024, there was a decent price drop at the beginning of the month across LEGO, Marvel, and STEM kits. Watch for this pattern in future years
Always keep an eye on night-time price drops, especially around midnight. This is when The Entertainer refreshes many online offers. Sellers using this timing last year got ahead of the crowd.
The Entertainer Hacks
1. Master Click and Collect
Click and collect is the single best way to profit from The Entertainer. Build your orders the night before, secure stock at multiple stores, and plan your RA trips around guaranteed pickups.
2. Use Arbisource for Online Scans
Run The Entertainer store on Arbisource, especially during brand promotions. It will help you track new deals and clearance items before other sellers catch on.
3. Use Voucher and Cashback Stacking
- TopCashback: Often offers 3–5% cashback
- EverUp/JamDoughnut / Cheddar: Instant cashback apps
- The Entertainer voucher code: Discount codes are often available and these can be stacked with the three above to increase margin.
Pros and Cons of The Entertainer
Pros:
- Excellent toy range, especially Q4.
- Reliable and fast click and collect system.
- Good online sales with Arbisource visibility.
- Can be stacked with cashback apps and vouchers.
- Located inside Tesco = more efficient trips.
Cons:
- Not great for bulk buying, usually limited quantities
- Some in store teams may limit or question large pickups
- Clearance varies store to store
- Margins can be tight on a lot of products.
Final Thoughts
The Entertainer might not be the best RA stores, but with the right tools and systems in place, it can be a highly profitable and repeatable part of your RA process, especially in Q4.
Make sure you are using Arbisource scans with The Entertainer to pick up deals for your click and collect runs. Think outside the box, be consistent, and use all available tools and you’ll do well.
