The changes reflect a broader shift in retail towards convenience, personalisation and customer retention, with Toy Kingdom seeking to make it easier for shoppers to discover products, organise gifts and return to the brand throughout the year.
Rather than treating its stores and digital channels as separate parts of the business, the retailer is working towards a more connected shopping experience.
At the centre of Toy Kingdom’s digital offering is a refreshed e-commerce platform, which allows customers to browse products by age and use Ask Toadie, an AI-powered product discovery tool.
The tool lets shoppers search using natural-language prompts, describing a child’s interests, age or gifting occasion to receive relevant product recommendations. This offers an alternative to navigating the website through traditional product categories.
A shake-to-refresh feature also gives shoppers an alternative selection of products, adding a more interactive element to online browsing.
The developments are designed to make toy shopping easier to navigate while bringing some of the discovery and excitement associated with browsing in-store into the online experience.
Toy Kingdom is also expanding how customers access its products through partnerships and delivery options.
In September 2025, the retailer partnered with the Mr D platform to offer rapid delivery of its products at in-store prices. Customers can order within a 12km delivery radius of Toy Kingdom stores.
It has since introduced its own Toys in 60 Minutes delivery service, using the Takealot Fulfilment Solutions driver network.
These services give the retailer additional ways to reach customers who may not be able to visit a store, while catering to last-minute gifting needs.
The approach also gives Toy Kingdom’s existing store network a role in supporting more immediate online orders, demonstrating how physical retail infrastructure can contribute to convenience-led fulfilment.
Customer retention is another focus, with Toy Kingdom transforming its Royalty programme from a traditional points-based system into a four-level benefits model.
Previously, customers earned R1 in Royalty points for every R25 spent, which could be redeemed against future purchases. Under the new structure, customers progress through levels by completing qualifying transactions of R600 or more.
Benefits include exclusive everyday deals, multibuy offers, additional promotional discounts, selected ongoing 3-for-2 offers and Trolley Dash entries. Higher levels unlock direct purchase discounts, while the top tier includes free delivery and exclusive customer experiences.
The change places greater emphasis on purchase frequency and continued engagement, rather than rewarding spending through points alone.
It also gives customers incentives to return outside traditional peak gifting periods, such as birthdays and Christmas.
The Royalty App extends the retailer’s customer engagement strategy beyond shopping. Alongside mobile shopping benefits, it includes wishlists, birthday party planning, digital invitations and RSVP management.
Its Go-Fund-A-Gift feature allows multiple family members and friends to contribute towards a selected gift.
This creates a shared gifting experience in which several people can help fulfil a child's wishlist, while bringing product discovery, celebration planning and purchasing into one journey.
For retailers, this introduces another way to engage customers before a purchase takes place, while potentially connecting more shoppers to a single transaction.
Together, the initiatives point to a retail model that combines the appeal of physical stores with digital discovery, faster fulfilment and loyalty-led incentives.
For Toy Kingdom, the focus is not simply on moving toy sales online. It is on creating more opportunities for families to interact with the brand, from finding the right gift and organising celebrations to arranging delivery and earning ongoing benefits.
The strategy positions technology as a way to support the retailer’s core proposition: making play and gifting more accessible and convenient for families.
