Why aren't there more UK Lego shops?

[jm28cardiff]

Why are there only 3 official lego shops in the UK, when we are supposedly one of the biggest markets for Lego? Yes you can buy Lego in Toys R Us, or The Entertainer, but they don't carry the full range.

[DLuders]

According to the Lego Store Locator website http://stores.lego.com/en-US/default.aspx , the UK has official Lego Stores in Bluewater, Brighton, and Milton Keynes. Germany has 7 stores, Canada has just one , and the USA has 44!

I've been to the one in Tigard, Oregon, USA (near Portland), and it's fun to visit. The prices are not better than what you could find on Shop.Lego.com , but it's nice to be able to pick up a box, look at the box art, and shake it. Even the Legoland California shops don't stock everything.

[Whittleberry]

There used to be ones at The Bentall Centre in Kingston upon Thames (an Apple store is there now) and there used to be one at the Bullring in Birmingham. In 2006 LEGO decided these two stores weren't making enough profit and leases for the stores were becoming more expensive so they closed them. Brighton was borderline. (thanks to bluemoose for that info)

I imagine LEGO will reconsider opening more stores in the future in the UK though, given how they've expanded in Germany.

[Marckeyh]

I think we're pretty lucky to even have 3 in the UK. There are none in Belgium and the Netherlands.

I live about 45mins from the Milton Keynes shop, but their PAB selection isn't as good as the one in

Bluewater :(

[Praiter Yed]

The Lego Discovery Centre shop at the Trafford Centre, Manchester, looks pretty good on the website . I intend to take the kids during the summer holidays .

[Adam the Ant]

I know 44 sounds a lot for one country, but that's still less than one per state and a lot of US states are larger or similar in size to the UK, so I think we have a pretty good deal, of course I wouldn't say no to more I would say it's worse for countries that don't have one at all, especially if there is a big market for it there.

[Cardinal Brick]

I was surprised that when Bristol opened their new huge shopping quater a Lego store did not follow, but maybe when the economy gets a bit better it'll improve. I live close to Bluewater so I'm quite happy myself but I would like to see more and I could see them comming.

Whittleberry, Brighton was boraderline does that mean sales have improved or is it still at risk? And do you know anything about the other stores, I'd expect Bluewater would be safe I think I spend enough myself to keep it safe!

[Peppermint_M]

I was disappointed that there is no Lego shop in Cardiff, what with it's distance from all the other Lego stores and the new Dewi Sant shopping arcade, all the space in the Queens Arcade (as seen on "Rose" when the Autons attacked!) and the St David's Arcade. Not to mention all the highstreet space...

I would love a Lego store in Cardiff...

[brickzone]

I wish they would open even one in Ireland, North or South (I'd be content even with one in Belfast nevermind Dublin).

[Vincent Kessels]

There used to be ones at The Bentall Centre in Kingston upon Thames (an Apple store is there now) and ...

I can't decide if that is an improvement or not

You're lucky with 3 Lego shops, because here in the Netherlands there are non. I would already be happy if there was a toyshop with a decent PAB wall.

[Whittleberry]

Whittleberry, Brighton was boraderline does that mean sales have improved or is it still at risk? And do you know anything about the other stores, I'd expect Bluewater would be safe I think I spend enough myself to keep it safe!

From what I remember reading Brighton is doing well these days. MK and BW were both going well, and BW still is today, seeing as it was so busy when I went there in January.

[danim]

you are lucky, the nearest lego store to me is the one im manchester which is about 6hours drive away

[ikensall]

Being in good old england i too think this is evul of them at the lego group i repeat EVUL.

[jonwil]

You brits are lucky to have LEGO stores, for me as an Aussie to get to a LEGO store, I would need to fly for the best part of a day on an airplane.

[Eskallon]

I myself am happy with the stores as the MK one is only 45 mins away but for others getting to the Lego stores would be a pain. There should really be one somewhere in whales. Perhaps also one in Scotland.

I am certain that the MK one will stay for a long time as It is always packed on weekends and in the holidays, however that is the only one I have been too. The manchester discovery centre might be ok but that depends on weather you have to buy a ticket to get in as that would be annoying if you just wanted a specific item or PAB every time.

Eskallon

[paul_delahaye]

I was a little disappointed with the trafford centre discover center shop, it did not have the newest sets in stock like the lego shops, in BW, MK and Brighton, maybe this is because it is owned by Merlin entertainments and not Lego directly?

Or are the Lego shops in the UK franchises? I don't know?

I do seem to remember their being a dedicated Lego shop in the Friary centre in Guilford about 20+ years ago. on the second floor.

[charlieboy]

Im lucky to live 5 minutes away from the Brighton Lego shop,dont forget about Legoland Windsor too,their shop is way bigger than the Brighton store and their PAB selection is usually better aswell.

[escortmad79]

It's certainly disappointed that there are none further up north, Edinburgh, Glasgow or even Newcastle would be ideal!

Closest one to me is the discovery centre in Manchester & that's 247.4 miles away from me!

[rday1982]

The LEGO group need to start pushing IMO to open a store in each of the major regions in the UK. If they had one per town, then that would be fantastic, but I'd settle for one in the SW, one in the SE, one in the centre, one in the NE and one in the NW.

If LEGO was only available in LEGO stores, then they could probably afford to open one in every decent sized town or city, and stock it with the full range as well as massive PAB areas.

LEGO seems to me to be failing to embrace the new world we live in. In the 90's, it was a different company with a different outlook. Now, it's changed subtly. It's no longer about making the best product, it's about margins. This strategy can only doom LEGO if they don't rectify it. When they made the best product (not simply the best in the marketplace, but a product which was incredibly hard to find fault with at all), they were a huge deal... now they're less of a big deal for kids (their main target market) and they're eliciting angry mutterings from the AFOL community. Margins have become their driving force, how they stay afloat. Of course, they soared in the 80's and 90's... but now they're content to stay afloat because that's what everybody else is doing, and it allows their top guys to make more money from fewer sales.

This is really saddening. I do tend to think that LEGO is still one of the best toys I've ever had, but as I move into my "responsible" adult years, it's become harder and harder to justify buying it, due to the drop in quality and hike in price, coupled with their insistence on changing everything that I loved about it just when they seemed to have it right (I'm a train builder and a diehard 9V fan).

If LEGO doesn't either improve in quality, drop in price, or start making an obvious effort to address the wants of the AFOL train building community, then I may have to find a new hobby. In which case, some lucky person will get a whole load of lego for next to nothing on eBay.

[gondortoast]

I thought this to be wierd aswell, as most of the shops are located in the south eastish way of the u.k . i think its purely based on travel links and holiday destinations, i mean for the bluewater store theres an almost stright connection to the A2, and M25. whereas brightons more of a holiday place and lets face it, who hasnt gone on holiday and brought lego? . but the milton keynes store seems to be almost in the middle of no where, apart from the nearby connection to the M1

but i suppose im just lucky to live right next to bluewater (dartford, its like 5 miniutes on the bus ) as the shop has a brillient selection of PAB as well as the minfig building bin. it does stock most of the current range aswell, but they never seemed to have the collectable minifigs when i went down.

[Kenneth-DK]

At least you have stores in the UK...

Denmark, the home of Lego, has none... Well there is one inside Legoland and you therefore have to pay an entrance fee (which I think you can get refunded if you exit within a certain time).

But honestly... The Land of Lego ?!? They can't even bless their own countrymen with a few Lego stores with a nice PaB wall ?!?? Noooo... We either have to go to Legoland or hit the Bricklink stores... And either pay quite a bit or buy some old banged up bricks...

Surely it could pay off moneywise to open just a few stores spread out around the country... Well, I for one keeps hoping... And whenever I'm visiting the inlaws in London, I try to make my way down to Bluewater... (Earlier I was blessed with several business trips to MK, but sadly those has stopped).

Phew, feel much beter now LEt's hope they build lots and lots of stores around the world, to keep us fans happy and busy building

[paul_delahaye]

At least you have stores in the UK...

Denmark, the home of Lego, has none... Well there is one inside Legoland and you therefore have to pay an entrance fee (which I think you can get refunded if you exit within a certain time).

Of course you are forgetting the store in the arrival hall/departure hall of Copenhagen airport! I found that on my trip to Sweden last year :-)