UK toy retailer Hamleys will make its CE debut with the opening of its Prague flagship next spring. The company signed a lease on 6,000 sqm of space in the former ČSOB bank building on Na Příkopě in central Prague. The historical bank was bought and refurbished by Lordship and Immofinanz. The toy retailer’s unique entertainment concept is expected to attract a number of other international brands to the Prague high street.
Pavel Čmelík, who holds the Hamleys license for the CE region, said that the Prague airport and two prominent shopping centers (Vaňkovka or Olympia) as well as a high street location in Brno are potential locations for future stores, but said the units would be small, 400 sqm at most. Martin Pilka of Lordship says that the retail component of the building will finally be fully leased after years of negotiations with various retailers, such as Marks & Spencer, Hennes & Mauritz and Peek & Cloppenburg, fell through. White & Case occupies 4,000 sqm of office space in the building, while heads of terms have been signed with two other office tenants.
