Toyworld shuts leaving four staff jobless

Four people have lost their jobs after one of Tauranga's longest-standing toy shops closed its doors after 35 years.

Toyworld, in the Bay Central Shopping Centre, on Chapel St, closed after going into liquidation last month.

Geoff Moth, operations manager for Associated Retailers New Zealand Limited, said the closure of the privately owned business was due to issues of a "personal nature".

At least four staff had lost their jobs, he said.

However it was still "a very viable business" and he hoped it would re-open in the future. "From our perspective it's a sad loss to see it close and we will be working pretty hard to find a new operator."

Toyworld is a co-operative, whereby store owners are shareholders in the parent company. The Tauranga store, which first opened in 1977, was one of the first Toyworlds in New Zealand.

The present owners bought the business six years ago. "Toyworld is in its 36th year. That store was one of the first of the whole group. There is a lot of brand recognition in the Tauranga area."