The Entertainer

About the Customer

Possessing more than 40 years’ experience, The Entertainer is the UK’s largest independent toy retailer. Headquartered in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, the family-run business sells a wide range of toys and games via 100 stores nationwide and online.

The Challenge

Prior to contacting Wavenet*, The Entertainer’s retail stores and head office were linked via dial-up public internet connections. Due to expansion and a desire to protect the large volume of sensitive data traversing the network, the business sought to create a faster, more secure, always-on network across its geographically dispersed locations.

As a key objective, Wavenet was to deliver a solution that removed single points of failure, ensuring the business could operate effectively in the event of primary line failure.

As an existing supplier we felt that Wavenet’s* level of support and commitment matched our requirements.

Ian Pulsford

Head of IT Services at The Entertainer

The Solution

In collaboration with Comms365, Wavenet refreshed The Entertainer’s MPLS Virtual Private Network (VPN), upgrading store DSL access circuits, retaining head office Ethernet bearers and increasing core internet access bandwidth.

To deliver store resilience, each Cisco router features an embedded ‘roaming’ SIM, providing the business with seamless, automated failover to 3G should either the PSTN or ADSL service fail. While operating on 3G, each store remains part of the corporate MPLS network, with each SIM accessing the ‘best available’ network, dependent on location and coverage.

All connections within The Entertainer MPLS network also feature the ‘Highlight’ service, which presents a full picture of circuit utilisation, health and availability.

Planning was smooth bearing in mind it was new technology and we had to incorporate changes during that time.

Ian Pulsford

Head of IT Services at The Entertainer

The Results

Despite an installation period for the primary DSL service, The Entertainer was able to benefit from the solution’s connectivity immediately, thanks to the innovative 3G element. The routers also allow the business to provide WiFi functionality to customers at selected stores.

Implementing the ‘Highlight’ tool has provided invaluable  ‘management to management’ information for The Entertainer, conveniently presented in a simple, graphical format. The application allows the retailer to measure existing ROI and to make informed decisions when budgeting, planning or resolving issues in real time.

Following the upgrades from Wavenet, we have experienced a significant improvement in reliability across all of our stores. It means that we can operate more efficiently across the business, safe in the knowledge that the network connection won’t let us down. Taking the opportunity to renew our ADSL commitment has allowed us to take advantage of faster, lower priced connections.

Ian Pulsford

Head of IT Services at The Entertainer

*The initial engagement was with Daisy, acquired by Wavenet in 2024.

If you’d like to find out more about how Wavenet could help your business with the areas covered in this case study, then get in touch at enquiries@wavenet.co.uk.