ONE of York’s most interactive shops is seeking a new owner who is passionate about having fun.

Totally Awesome in Colliergate is owned by husband-and-wife team Aamir Yusuf and Lisa Fox, who left their roles in corporate IT and catering eight years ago to pursue their dream of owning a toy shop.

As a self-proclaimed kite nerd and toy lover, Aamir explained how the couple opened their first shop in Hebden Bridge, close to their West Yorkshire home, and the second in Halifax’s Piece Hall.

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Their decision to open in York came shortly before the first lockdown when they learnt about the premises by speaking to friend and fellow toy shop owner Mike who was selling his shop.

The pair picked up their keys on April Fool’s Day 2020 and ‘never looked back’, with Aamir saying: “It’s been amazing.”

From the day they set up shop, the couple built up a team of knowledgeable staff and a regular customer base who visit their Colliergate location to not only shop but also to ‘hang out, browse, and play’ at the interactive central table.

Aamir said: “We’ve tried to create that slightly different buying experience, we don’t just sell boxes.

“We’ve built up our own character for each of our shops, we offer demos, and we don’t seek to compete with Argos or other big retailers.

“If anyone asks for a present for a seven-year-old, our team can point them to different products in different price ranges – that’s where a lot of our repeat business comes from. We feel like we have the ability to reinvent and to really know our customers.”

Despite his love for the shop, Aamir has made the decision to retire to Crete with wife Lisa, and is looking forward to the chance to ‘do the things that we haven’t been able to do for the past seven years’.

Some of the stock at Totally AwesomeSome of the stock at Totally Awesome (Image: Alice Kavanagh)

However, Aamir isn’t in a rush to sell and is ‘very keen’ to see his shop go the right person, having found the perfect buyers for his Hebden Bridge and Halifax locations already.

He said: “A toy shop has been here for over 20 years, we picked it up four years ago and made it more family friendly. For York in particular, it would be really nice to see someone continue that legacy.

“I wouldn’t want to shut it down; I’d love to see it carry on with people who understand what we’re doing.”

Whilst Aamir plans to be in Crete by November, he hopes to keep the shop going until a new buyer is found with manager Steve able to run the shop in his absence.

Anyone interested in taking on a ‘totally awesome’ new challenge is advised to contact Aamir through the website.