The 234 Bart Smit toy shops and Toys XL mega stores are being converted into branches of Intertoys, parent company Blokker Holding said on Tuesday.

The change over should be complete by the end of next year, Blokker Holding said.

The company said it has opted to unify all its toy stores under the Intertoys brand because it is currently the biggest, with 301 outlets including franchise operations.

The change of name will mean a few job losses, mainly at HQ, but the company hopes to find new work for everyone affected by the shake-up.

Blokker Holding has been hard hit in its high street operations and is currently overhauling the Blokker household good shops. Jobs have also been cut at the Xenos budget stores.

The three toy shop brands operate in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg and have a workforce of over 4,200.