Toymaster retailer Argosy Toys, based in the Essex town of Westcliff-on-Sea, is in a celebratory mood after scooping a prize in the Essex Mums Awards 2024.
This family-run business won the Best Local Shop for Babies or Children award category. Highly recommended were KidEco Lakeside and Whites Farm Baby Barn.
Argosy Toys has been trading continuously since 1947, and measures a total of 3,200sq ft spread over two floors: 2,000sq ft downstairs and 1,200sq ft upstairs.
“We’re chuffed and thrilled to bits. It’s great to be recognised by the local people that actually walk through our door. I think that, like a lot of little shops, we are more community-centred, and that’s been reflected in this achievement”
Argosy CEO Paul Wohl, who contributes excellent Indie toy shop columns to TnP, said: “We’re chuffed and thrilled to bits. It’s great to be recognised by the local people that actually walk through our door. I think that, like a lot of little shops, we are more community-centred, and that’s been reflected in this achievement. We go the extra mile: we do lots of local deliveries, we order things in for people… we’re just generally lovely, with lovely customers who voted for us!”
The Best Independent Online Shop for Families category was won by Fred and Noah. Highly recommended were Chris’ Toy Box and Marni Makes.
Essex Mums is a local website for families that features events and groups listings, along with a wealth of information for parents and a friendly community of local mums. Established in 2008, it reaches an audience of more than 30,000 unique users across Essex every month, who make around 100,000-page impressions. Essex Mums also has a strong social media presence, including a Facebook page with over 30,000 likers, a Facebook group with more than 13,000 members and around 10,500 Twitter followers. Its popular monthly newsletters and school holidays mailouts reach more than 25,000 subscribers.
