What: Manor has redesigned the toy departments in eight Swiss department stores around easier navigation and hands-on play, adding an "Autorama" for testing toy cars and 20–30 sqm pop-up spaces that open with Pokémon.

Why it is important: Rotating brand pop-ups let Manor refresh the toy offer for repeat visitors and give brands and suppliers a way to shape the in-store experience through their own fit-outs, promotions and events.

Manor has launched a new toy concept in eight of its department stores, after a pilot in Basel. The concept was extended to Geneva, Lugano, Zurich Letzipark, Winterthur, Lausanne, Aarau and Emmen. Manor says that as purchasing becomes more digital, department stores must remain places where toys can be discovered and tried with all the senses.

The assortment is now organized into thematic worlds, such as games, vehicles, soft toys and dolls, each with its own color code carried across walls, furniture and other store elements. Non-gendered age indications show at a glance which toys suit which age groups. New display units and themed furniture present each range while keeping a consistent look.

Interactive elements include an activity zone with monthly-changing themes, display furniture with built-in "Focus Points", an "Autorama" where miniature vehicles can be tested, and a themed photo booth. Pop-up spaces of 20 to 30 sqm, renewed regularly, host new products, current trends and brand worlds. Brands and suppliers can design them as they wish and add promotions or events. Pokémon, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, launches the format.

IADS Notes: Manor's toy-floor redesign follows its plan to invest CHF 200 million over three years in modernizing flagship stores while exiting less profitable sites (Press Release, March 2026). The focus on in-store experience over transactional shopping mirrors the shift in Korea, where Hyundai, Shinsegae and Lotte are reorganizing layouts into lifestyle-led, experiential spaces (The Chosun Daily, February 2026). Family-oriented toy formats are expanding in other markets too. Nordstrom is rolling out FAO Schwarz shop-in-shops with interactive activations aimed at multi-generational shoppers (Press Release, June 2026), and Korean department stores are upgrading their children's floors, with children's sales up 21% at Hyundai and 13.9% at Shinsegae this year (Korea JoongAng Daily, October 2026). The category's customer base is also widening beyond children: adults and adolescents drove a 9% rise in France's toy market in 2025 and now account for 36% of toy sales (Le Monde, December 2025).

Manor rolls out new toy concept across eight department stores