Great Little Trading Company || Wooden Play Shop and Theatre

Updated for 2025: This post has been refreshed to reflect the latest updates for 2025. Since our original review, Great Little Trading Company has expanded its range, and there are now even more fantastic wooden play shops and imaginative play toys available on their website. Whether you’re looking for a timeless classic or something new, GLTC continues to offer some gorgeous, high-quality toys that inspire hours of creative fun for your little ones!

So today I have some exciting news for a Monday morning: Freddie and Sasha have officially landed the best gig in the world, as official testers for a company that I have absolutely LOVED for ages, The Great Little Trading Company! We couldn’t be happier, and F and S are looking forward to giving their (very vocal) opinion on all things  toy and bedroom-wise for super-stylish little ones. 

When we were told that they’d be reviewing the Great Little Trading Company’s Wooden Play Shop and Theatre, it couldn’t have come at a better time. We’d recently purchased a cheapo cardboard market stall, that whilst it looked good, unfortunately it didn’t stand the test of time, and collapsed when Freddie accidentally stumbled and fell on it. Cue lots and lots of tears from a very sad 3 and 4 year old. I found myself cursing myself mentally for not splashing out on something a lot sturdier, but you live and learn eh? I had seen the Great Little Trading Company Play Shop and Theatre in their catalogue, as well as on Instagram before, and had always loved the look of it, so this was the perfect opportunity to give it a go. 

So we don’t end up with spoilt brats, Adam and I told the children that they had a very special job to do for Mummy, and that this is a bit of an early Christmas present. I think this went over their heads a bit, and now they seem to think I work for the big man FC himself, so we have probably totally confused them! 

Unboxing and Setup

Anyway, the market arrived perfectly flat-packed whilst the children were at school and preschool, which gave me plenty of time to put it together and I couldn’t wait to see their excited faces when they arrived home. Turns out I didn’t actually need that much time, as the whole thing only took me just over half an hour (alone) to build. The fact that the instructions that came with it were detailed and clear was a big factor in the ease of this, and certainly reduced potential stress levels! I know when it comes to Christmas and children’s presents, I’m very much of the like-to-relax-with-a-Baileys or 3  on-Christmas-Eve parental variety, not spending all evening constructing complicated toys.

Along with the Play Shop we were lucky enough to have been given some little wooden crates of play food (fruit, veg and meat/fish), plus a selection of wooden groceries and a lovely blue and red, wooden shopping trolley. Like the market stall, the trolley comes flat-packed and was easy to put together, although you might need another person to help you put the wheels on so they are on tight enough. 

First Impressions

When Freddie and Sasha first ran upstairs and saw their new Market Stall, their faces were a picture! Ridiculously happy and excited doesn’t quite cover it! 

“I love it so much, Mummy” said Sasha, where as Freddie just kept saying “Wow, Mummy, is it REALLY, really ours?!”.

Heart. Melt.

Why Our Kids Love It

Role play games, especially ones playing shops and anything involving food, are a big hit with my two, and they probably play variations of these games most days. As a result I knew they’d get good use of this toy, and that it would be worth giving house room to. I absolutely love watching them play together and see their little minds thinking up a plan of action for their shop. Considering my two can bicker quite a lot, when it comes to working in a shop they seem to share the jobs and manage to delegate quite well! Maybe Freddie’s previous declaration that he’d like to work in Iceland down the road when he’s older “…because they do yummy cocktail sausages and I can eat them all the time” wasn’t far off the mark 😉

From a parents point of view, previous experience of owning wooden food suggests that it lasts a long, long time, and I love that the food items are nice and chunky, yet easy for little hands to pick up and play with. On a completely shallow note, this is also a toy that looks bloody good, and as someone who has spent a lot of time making sure the children’s bedrooms look nice and are lovely spaces to play in, I didn’t want to fill it with totally hideous toys. I think this shows that it’s possible to get a balance and find something that the children will LOVE but that’s aesthetically pleasing at the same time. 

We’ve decided to keep the Play Shop in Sasha’s bedroom as it’s the biggest, but to be honest I don’t think you’d need a huge amount of space to keep this comfortably and without it getting in the way. I’ve always been a bit funny about clogging up the house with irritatingly bulky stuff, but this, whilst on the taller-side, isn’t actually very wide at all, so fits snuggly against the wall. The Play Shop and Theatre is also on wheels so it can be moved around if required, but thankfully there are safety breaks on the wheels so little ones can’t suddenly decide to hurl it down the stairs!

Features

Other features of the Play Shop and Theatre include include a pull out draw for storage (see pic) that you can write on with chalk, thanks to the blackboard paint, as well as a blank, blackboard-painted sign for writing the name of your new market venture on! If the market stall is turned around, then there is a large blackboard at the front for you to write the name of your theatre show on (this toy is reversible, and I’ll be featuring the theatre aspect of it in a blog post coming soon).

So do we have any criticisms so far of our new addition?

Honestly, none as yet! If I’m being extremely nit-picky, then I wonder how long the curtains will last with constant use, but to be honest they’re so easy to take off and wash/repair, or just make some new ones, that it’s really not a big deal. 

I had high hopes that a product such as this would be high quality for the price (Was £140, now currently £112), and we haven’t been disappointed. I just wish I’d made the investment in the first place, rather than to try and cut corners on a previously cheaper product that only lasted a short while, and caused a fair bit of upset. 

Definitely one to ask Father Christmas for this year, as it’s a fantastic toy and judging by the reaction my two little ones had when they first saw it, would really make for a memorable 25th December.

Go and buy! 

Educational Benefits of Role Play with a Wooden Shop

As a parent, I know that role play functions as such an important and effective educational method for our children. It really does promote children’s cognitive abilities, plus helps when it comes to their social and emotional growth. Children learn to tell stories creatively, solve problems and practice basic maths skills like counting, or working with money, while engaging in real-world activities like ‘serving customers’ or managing ‘stock’ ala their wooden food! Through a wooden play shop like this one from Great Little Trading Company, children expand their vocabulary and help work on their social interactions by taking on roles like shopkeeper or customer, which builds their language and communication skills. This type of pretend play supports academic learning when they head off to school, and also builds confidence, empathy and life skills.

About Great Little Trading Company (GLTC)

Great Little Trading Company is a British toy company, and has gained popularity over the past several years for its stunning children’s furniture and toys which are of high quality and avoid plastic and ‘fast retail’ as much as possible. Their products are stunning, and combine visual appeal with imaginative play and organisation benefits, which make them ideal for parents who value style AND function. Since its establishment in 1996, GLTC has achieved the status of being a go-to, quality toy and furniture choice for families within the UK.

FAQs About the Great Little Trading Company Wooden Play Shop and Theatre

Q: Is the Wooden Play Shop and Theatre from GLTC suitable for all ages?
A: It’s ideal for children aged 3 and up. Younger children can also enjoy it with supervision.

Q: Does the GLTC Wooden Play Shop come with accessories?
A: It doesn’t include accessories as standard, but GLTC offers matching play food and props that perfectly complement the set.

Q: Is the Wooden Play Shop easy to assemble?
A: Yes, the instructions are clear and most customers find it simple to put together in under an hour.

Q: Is this a good gift idea?
A: 100%! – it makes a beautiful birthday or Christmas gift that will be loved for years.

Q: Is the product available outside the UK?
A: GLTC primarily serves the UK market, so international delivery may be limited.

Q: How does it compare to similar products?
A: Compared to cheaper alternatives, the GLTC version stands out for its design, durability, and 2-in-1 functionality.

A huge thanks to The Great Little Trading Company for letting Freddie and Sasha have so much fun. We were given the Play Shop and Theatre, wooden food and shopping trolley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and words are my own (and Freddie and Sasha’s!).

See more of my reviews here and parenting posts here

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.