A game and gadget shop has re-opened in a Romford shopping centre, with the promise it will "make you feel like a kid again".

MenKind reopened on Monday (September 25) in Mercury Shopping Centre in Romford, replacing retailer Game.

Store manager Jaffa Khan, 28, from Ilford, said he was aware of issues that contributed to the former MenKind's closure in 2021, but was optimistic of success this time.

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This Is Local London: MenKind re-opened on Monday (September 25)MenKind re-opened on Monday (September 25) (Image: Mercury Shopping Centre)

He felt that MenKind would offer people in Romford a place to unwind from work and everyday life.

“There’s been days where I’ve been so frustrated from work, I’ve gone to a shop that makes me feel like myself again and I completely forget why I was stressed out in the first place," he said.

The MenKind manager also felt that the opening of his store in Romford would help bring business to the area from Lakeside shopping centre in Grays.

Despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Jaffa was confident that people from all walks of life would be attracted to his store.

"It's the sense of coming somewhere and feeling like a kid again," he said. "Some of the adults walk in and they play with a chicken [toy] that makes a noise - they find it embarrassing but it's actually quite funny."

MenKind's opening on Monday was busy, followed by a quiet Tuesday, Jaffa said, but he expects turnover to be high over Christmas.

He predicted schoolchildren would be one of his biggest customers and said MenKind would offer young people a valuable social space.

"You're just so focused on your everday life, you don't have that time for yourself, even just for a few minutes, so coming to somewhere you can browse and feel like yourself for a split second can make a big difference to your life," he said.