Independent toy shop nominated for national award

Games Crusade in Ilkley has been nominated in a national UK’s Favourite Local Business competition. There are £1500 in Ilkley Town Centre Gift Cards as a possible prize.

An independent toy shop in Ilkley says a focus on customer experience and spotting industry trends is key to them being nominated for a national accolade.

Games Crusade in Ilkley is one of the businesses nominated in a national UK’s Favourite Local Business competition, sponsored by Miconex and backed by the Ilkley Town Centre Gift Card.

Owner Lisa Dyson first started her toy business 19 years ago and now owns two Games Crusade stores in Yorkshire, Ilkley and Harrogate with her husband. Lisa said: “I used to work in financial services and started out by selling toys to people directly, delivering them to their homes - working on the business in the evenings. It went down so well that I got my first shop in a village, then a bigger shop in Harrogate, and then the Ilkley store too. Three years ago, my husband left his job in IT to work full time in the business.

“The products we sell, the service, and the experience are at the heart of Games Crusade. I try to get products that you can’t get anywhere else and we have a demo table in each store. Our staff know how our toys work and can tell customers about them. So many people will come in and say they’re looking for a gift for a 6 year old for example, and they like to have personal advice from a real person on what a 6 year old might like.

“Being on the high street, we often can’t compete on price, so we have to offer something different and that’s what we aim to do. The other side is keeping our finger on the pulse of trends in the toy industry, and finding unique products. Every year, we invest in going to the Nürnberg Toy Fair which is the world’s biggest toy fair, so we can ensure Games Crusade has the best products. Communicating with customers is another thing we invest in and I’m fortunate to have a great team.”

Games Crusade is part of the Ilkley Town Centre Gift Card, while Games Crusade in Harrogate is part of the Harrogate Gift Card. Lisa says it is important for her business to be a part of the community:

“We’re part of the Ilkley Town Centre Gift Card and the Harrogate Gift Card because they are local gift cards for our community that encourage local spending. Children are often given them for Christmas so we tend to see the cards being spent in the stores in January time.

“As business owners, we don’t often get feedback from customers, so knowing that someone has taken the time to vote for us to be the UK’s Favourite Local Business is wonderful.”

Shops, restaurants, salons, hotels and attractions in Ilkley– and right across Yorkshire and the rest of the UK– are all eligible to be the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2024. People can nominate their favourite local business in the competition free at www.lovelocalwin.co.uk, giving the name of the local business they think deserves to win and a reason.

The UK’s Favourite Local Business will be the business who has the most nominations and will win a £500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Ilkley Town Centre Gift Card, with one person who nominated the winning business receiving a £1000 Town & City Gift Card. Businesses can find out more about the competition online.

Sarah Brookfield-Almond is Ilkley BID manager and said: “Games Crusade is a well-respected local business in Ilkley and it is wonderful to see them being recognised in this national competition. There are many outstanding local businesses in Ilkley, so please do keep on voting for your favourite.”

Fintech Miconex, founders of the Town & City Gift Card concept, is sponsoring the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2024. Over 20,000 local businesses are part of Miconex’s local gift card programmes around the world with over £30m spent locally through the cards.

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “The value that local businesses bring to our towns and cities shouldn’t be underestimated; a physical business that you can visit, receive tailored advice, and access unique products and services that you can’t find anywhere else. As we approach the key Christmas trading period, UK’s Favourite Local Business is a reminder of how important local businesses are, and why we need to keep on supporting them.”