Reliance Industries’ Hamleys Franchising to be dissolved in UK after voluntary strike-off application

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Thursday said its step-down subsidiary, Hamleys (Franchising) Ltd, is set to be dissolved in the UK following an application for voluntary strike-off.

The UK Registrar of Companies has published a gazette notice stating that the company will be struck off the register and dissolved no earlier than two months from October 27, 2026, unless an objection is raised, RIL said in a regulatory filing.

“In the application for voluntary strike off filed by Hamleys (Franchising) Ltd, a step-down subsidiary of the company, the Registrar of Companies, United Kingdom has published a notice in the gazette stating that unless cause is shown to the contrary, HFL will be struck off the register and dissolved not less than 2 months from October 27, 2026,” the company said.

Hamleys (Franchising) reported ₹56 crore turnover in 2025

Hamleys (Franchising) reported a turnover of ₹56.08 crore in calendar year 2025. Its contribution to RIL’s consolidated turnover in the financial year ended March 2026 stood at 0.0048%, according to the filing.

The company had nil net worth as of December 31, 2025, RIL said.

The proposed dissolution relates to Hamleys (Franchising) Ltd, a step-down subsidiary, and the filing does not indicate that the Hamleys retail brand itself is being discontinued.

Reliance acquired Hamleys for ₹620 crore in 2019

Reliance Brands Ltd, a subsidiary of RIL, acquired British toy retailer Hamleys in July 2019 for £67.96 million, or around ₹620 crore, in an all-cash transaction. The deal marked Reliance’s entry into global toy retailing.

Reliance Brands bought 100% of Hamleys Global Holdings Ltd from Hong Kong-based C Banner International Holdings.

Founded in London in 1760, Hamleys is among the world’s oldest toy retailers and is particularly known for its flagship store on Regent Street in London.

Before the acquisition, Reliance Retail had operated Hamleys stores in India under a master franchise arrangement launched in 2008.

At the time of the 2019 acquisition, Hamleys had 167 stores across 18 countries, while Reliance Retail operated 88 Hamleys stores across 29 Indian cities.