AN online toy retailer from the district is bucking the trend during the pandemic after reporting sales from across the world.

PoundToy, based at River Technology Park in Keighley, has reported a 157 per cent year-on-year growth after a successful 2020.

Founded in 2016, PoundToy is a family-operated business that has gone from strength to strength, moving into a larger distribution warehouse earlier this year and recruiting a further 50 staff to keep up with demand, taking its staff numbers to 76. This number includes seasonal workers to meet the demand for its products in the lead-up to Christmas.

The company, set up by Rob Owlett, from Oakworth, and Elliot Lumb, who lives near Cullingworth, aims to sell a range of children’s toys at much lower prices than the larger, more established outlets.

Mr Owlett previously worked in online and digital marketing for Google, while Mr Lumb had been selling toys as a side project on Amazon and Ebay.

PoundToy is the UK’s fastest growing online toy retailer and stocks high quality, branded character toys and games from huge names including Marvel, Lego, Star Wars and Peppa Pig.

Orders have been received from more than 160 countries across the world including Australia, USA and China.

Sales have increased from 50,000 between January 1, 2019 to November 16, 2019 to 120,000 orders for the same period this year.

The firm's revenue has risen from £1.2million in that same period in 2019 to £3.2m in the same spell this year.

It is now also selling 56,000 toys per day, as the countdown to Christmas continues.

Meanwhile, PoundToy has also followed the huge High Street names by premiering its first national TV advert.

The 30-second commercial was broadcast on ITV for the first time last night and uses footage of real customers opening their PoundToy deliveries.

It is set to regularly appear on our screens until December 16 in breaks of popular shows including I'm A Celebrity....Get Me Out of Here!, Tipping Point and Emmerdale. It will also appear in advert breaks on the ITV Hub catch-up service.

Mr Owlett, 32, PoundToy marketing director, said: “Launching this TV ad is an exciting next step, PoundToy has gone from strength to strength and we recently have had to employ a further 50 staff to help with the huge demand.

"We have done pretty good considering we are a start-up in Keighley.

"We are competitive and very driven to continue to grow the business and see what we can make of it. We want to go after that next win.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Elliot Lumb, front, and Rob Owlett, of PoundToyElliot Lumb, front, and Rob Owlett, of PoundToy

"We now need a massive Amazon-style warehouse to continue the growth we have had. We want to stay in Keighley.

"One of the biggest reasons we stay in Keighley is because we are from Keighley and we want to give people from here jobs.

It's cost-effective. We are a savvy parents shop. We sell the same items as our competitors, but cheaper

"The toy industry has the highest margins than any other industry. We don't have to pay for the shops like they do."