The Christian owner of a multi-million pound toyshop chain has said he will not open stores on a Sunday because his faith impacts his business.
Gary Grant, founder of The Entertainer chain, left school with just one O-level in Maths. At the age of 23, he and his wife Catherine took over their first toyshop in Buckinghamshire.
Now they have 110 UK stores as well as four overseas, and for the year to the end of January made a £7.8 million profit.
Accountable
Mr Grant became a Christian in 1991, after attending a men’s breakfast at his local church.
Since then he has been making his business compatible with his beliefs, according to a feature on the BBC News website.
In everything we do, faith is central to our decisions
Gary Grant
None of his shops open on a Sunday, and the company is part of the Keep Sunday Special campaign. Mr Grant has said in the past he is “accountable to God” not to shareholders.
Good value
Ten per cent of profits are given to charity, and the chain does not stock Halloween goods or realistic weaponry – Mr Grant explained: “We just want to be comfortable with what we’re selling”.
On The Entertainer’s website, the company says they “only sell toys we believe have real play value, represent good value for money and are suitable for the children they’re made for”.
Mr Grant also seeks to create opportunities for many people, because he recognises that he might not have had such a large business without the opportunities he was given.
Honour
During the economic crisis in 2008, he prayed with his staff every week for four months. At the end of the year, the firm broke even.
In an interview with the Guardian earlier this year, Mr Grant said: “In everything we do, faith is central to our decisions”.
“We have got the ability to put back into society”, he added.