Motorway service area operator Roadchef is getting into the Christmas spirit by launching a toy recovery service, to reunite lost items at its 30 service stations with children travelling with their families this holiday season.
Roachef says that with 90% of parents in the UK having gone through the trauma of their child losing a toy, it is stepping in to give its customers peace of mind and to ”keep the festive spirit intact”.
It conducted a survey of 500 parents which showed that 40% would travel outside their town or city, and nearly a quarter, 24.8%, would pay hundreds of pounds to retrieve a lost toy. Some parents, 5% would be willing to cross the country, while a dedicated 1% would travel abroad.
Others, over 40%, admitted to telling creative tales when their child’s toy went missing, with stories like “the fairy took it,” “it went on holiday,” and “it’s off to help Father Christmas.”
The new service involves parents reporting a lost toy on a dedicated online form. Roadchef will search for any missing items, and publicise those found and not claimed across social media and a dedicated landing page. Once families are reunited with their toy Roadchef will arrange its safe return either through collection from a service station or delivery to the family’s home.
Roadchef chief executive Mark Fox says: “Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but not one that doesn’t come without its stresses. All parents will know the dread of losing their child’s beloved toy and it can quickly turn a happy journey into a difficult one. With our Toy Recovery Service, we hope to bring peace of mind to parents using our services during the Christmas period and ensure no toy is left behind.”
