ESL Gross Market

ESL Gross Market is a large toy and games store in Żabbar, in the south-east of Malta, and it has a longer history than almost any other toy business on the islands. The shop trades under the name ESL Gross Market, while the registered company is Emmanuel Said Limited, so you may see both names. It is listed in our directory of toy shops in Malta.

For a UK visitor, the appeal is scale and range: a 1,000 square metre retail area, the main international toy brands, and board games that are hard to find on a typical British high street.

From Valletta wholesaler to Żabbar toy store

The firm began in the 1940s as Emmanuel Said (Wholesale), with offices and stores in Britannia Street, Valletta, a road better known today as Melita Street. If you are exploring the capital, our Valletta guide shows how much of the city's trading history survives. The business became a limited liability company on 4 January 1968.

In 1969, with the business growing and traffic in the capital a problem, it moved to Żabbar, first to Sanctuary Street and then, on 19 July 1990, to the much larger Labour Road premises it still uses. Żabbar sits close to the harbour towns in our Three Cities guide. Over the years the company dropped lines such as wines and spirits, disinfectants, sports goods and underwater equipment to concentrate on toys and games, and has acted for around fifty years as a leading importer and distributor for Malta and Gozo.

Inside the five-floor building

The building has five floors. Two serve as retail space of 1,000 square metres, the third and fourth floors are used for wholesale negotiations, and the basement is for storage. Retailers can choose and buy new stock straight from the shelves, so shop-owners and families can browse the same ranges.

The company employs 16 full-time staff and four part-timers. Its website began in December 2009 as a showcase for retail clients and an online shop, and a new site went live in October 2018.

What the shop sells

The online shop is organised by theme and age. Categories include construction kits, ride-on vehicles, educational toys, games, prams and pushchairs, soft toys, radio control toys, Playmobil, Lego, LeapFrog and Miniland. There are also dolls, science and crafts, musical instruments, sports, garden toys and furniture, and beach and summer toys.

Party and seasonal shopping is covered too, with Halloween, Carnival, Christmas, baby shower and back-to-school collections. Board games from the Creatives range are a speciality, such as Family Budget at €18.90, which teaches children about household money from age seven, World Safari Premium at €28.00 for ages nine and over, and My First Charades at €16.90 for ages four and over. The product pages give clear age guidance, player numbers where relevant, and a list of what comes in the box, which makes it easier to choose a gift for a child you do not see often. The website is updated regularly with new items.

Delivery, hours and visiting

Online orders over €40.00 are delivered free within Malta and Gozo, which helps if you are staying on Gozo, which our Gozo guide covers. The shop is open from 8am to 7pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays, so a Sunday family outing needs a different plan.

After a shopping trip, ideas for the rest of the day appear in our guide to things to do in Malta, and nearby directory pages include 97Notes entertainment venue, Adventure Cruises Malta boat charter and Accessorize and Monsoon Children clothing. If you are moving to the island with a family, see our Malta relocation guide and the 8 Corporate Services page for company help.

To ask ESL Gross Market a question about stock, delivery or trade buying, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.