The future of specialty toy retailing is here and it’s looking brighter than ever.
Mastermind Toys has opened the doors to its “beautiful new location” at The Shops at Pickering City Centre.
“Thoughtfully designed with a shopping-friendly layout, interactive play stations, and fresh finds from the beloved brands you know and love, this new store is an inspiring step forward in how we engage with children, parents, and communities,” said John Bayliss, CEO of Mastermind Toys.
“This flagship represents more than just a retail space, it’s a celebration of creativity, discovery, and imagination.”
Bayliss, formerly a senior executive with Walmart Canada, has been in his current role since mid-May.
“It’s been a phenomenal experience. Mastermind is an exceptional brand with very passionate store managers and play experts. We raised our kids with weekend visits to Mastermind, so it’s an exciting role with lots of opportunity to bring a great Canadian icon back to the forefront,” said Bayliss, of the brand which faced financial difficulties just a few years ago.
In December 2023, Mastermind Toys, the largest independent specialty toy and children’s book retailer in Canada, announced that it had entered into an asset purchase agreement with Unity Acquisitions Inc., a company owned by Canadian retail pioneers Joe Mimran, Frank Rocchetti and David Lui.
Under the terms of the transaction, Unity purchased the majority of Mastermind Toys store locations..“Mastermind Toys is a beloved Canadian retailer with a loyal customer base driven by quality, curiosity and play,” said Joe Mimran, at the time. ”The acquisition aligns with Unity’s strategy to enhance and grow extraordinary Canadian brands. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the team at Mastermind Toys and take the brand and the business to the next level.”
Today, there are 47 locations operating coast to coast across the country.
“We’re in every province except Quebec. That said, we do have a business called Coco Village, a digitally native brand headquartered in Quebec. Joe and Frank and Unity acquired it about a year ago and folded it into Mastermind. They specialize in product design and offer an exceptional range of products that we sell at Mastermind, but they also sell to other retailers and direct to consumers around the world,” explained Bayliss.
“We’ve been in Pickering for a while. It’s a grand reopening. The mall has been undergoing redevelopment, and we had the opportunity to reimagine our store in a refreshed space. That end of the mall has been rejuvenated with new stores like Sephora, JD Sports, and lululemon.
“We moved into a smaller footprint, about 3,000 square feet, down from 5,000, which gave us the chance to redesign the store in line with our mission: to inspire kids to play, learn, and grow. The new layout is more engaging for kids to explore and interact, while also creating a great shopping experience for parents and grandparents.”
Bayliss said the brand hasn’t opened any new stores yet this year, but it does have plans in the works for a series of pop-ups, which it hopes to announce in the next few weeks for the holiday season.
“Right now, we’re reviewing the right formats and communities for future growth because we believe there are still many opportunities for Mastermind,” he said.
A brand like Mastermind has several benefits of being part of a larger group like Unity.
“With Frank and Joe at the helm, we benefit from their incredible product and design expertise. Their strengths in visual merchandising and design are evident across the portfolio . . . We’re also fortunate to have onboarded a new investor, Stéphane Tétrault. He owns Import Dragons, McFarlane Toys, and recently acquired EB Games Canada (formerly GameStop Canada). He brings deep knowledge of the toy industry and the specialty/collector side of the business, which is incredibly valuable. This year has really been about injecting that expertise and thinking into the business so we can better deliver value to Canadian families heading into peak season.”
Bayliss said the Pickering store also represents the brand returning to its heritage, focusing on strong curation, innovation, quality, creativity, and developmental value.
“When you walk into a Mastermind, you’ll see great STEM kits, classic wooden toys, and something for every curious child’s mind. We’re also featuring more Canadian brands and unique items that you won’t find elsewhere,” he noted.
“Design-wise, this is part of a broader effort to rejuvenate our retail footprint. Last year, we renovated the store in Mount Pleasant, the first step in rethinking our design and layout. We’re continuing that work at our stores on Yonge Street, Etobicoke, The Beaches (currently under renovation), and Bayview Village. We’ll start applying this new blueprint to key locations across the country.
“So, really, this is about building back a great Canadian brand and delivering a great experience in every community we serve.”
Related Retail Insider stories:
- Stéphane Tétrault joins Mastermind Toys as an Investor and Partner
- John Bayliss becomes CEO of Mastermind Toys
