Dubai-headquartered The Toy Store owner ceases operations

The Dubai-headquartered Gulf Greetings General Trading LLC which was founded in 1980 has ceased operations, local media have reported.

Gulf Greetings has a licensing and distribution agreement for Hallmark Cards, and is also the owner of its own brand The Toy Store.

The group has a total of 43 retails stores in the UAE (including 35 Hallmark and eight The Toy Store units), according to information gathered from its LinkedIn profile.

Hallmark stores focus on greeting cards, paper products, gifts and a selection of toys.

The Toy Store meanwhile was founded in 2004 and rose to become one of the leading toy specialists in the region. The online page for The Toy Store is no longer operational and reports have indicated that stores across malls in the UAE are already being shuttered.

Lending credence to the media reports, an email sent last week to its suppliers from Gulf Greetings Management read: “It is with great regret that due to unavoidable and unprecedented circumstances have forced Gulf Greetings General Trading LLC to close down operations with immediate effect.

“We would ask that you treat this situation with humility and respect for the long-standing relationship between our businesses. While certain members of the team will remain over the next few weeks, their ability to assist in individual situations will be very limited.

“Please accept our apologies for the disruption this will inevitably cause, I assure you the effect this has on the owners, management and the entire Gulf Greetings team is devastating and would have been avoided at all costs if at all possible.”