Birmingham store now open
Posted by Huw,
The new brand store in Birmingham opens its doors today. We sent our west midlands correspondent Graham to a special event there last night to check it out:
Some years after the closure of the original brand store in Birmingham's Bullring, today marks a return to the city with the newest brand store in the UK.
The Bullring shopping centre is a bit of a labyrinth, and as the store is not yet on the centre maps/boards it was a job to locate it. The best way to get there is to enter the doors next to the famous bull statue, where you'll find it just inside on the left opposite H&M Home. Given its position adjacent to this signature entrance, it holds a prominent position within the shopping centre.
The layout and design closely follow the style of every brand store but it's significantly wider than others which makes it feel very spacious. The space could have been filled with more stock but instead it's been left empty to give plenty of room to deliver an improved customer experience.
Inside you'll find all the usual features: pick-a-brick (18 x 6) and a build-a-minifig in the tower format. In a first for the UK the 'brand ribbon' above the shelves is digital, as can be seen in the pictures. This displays animations and video spanning a wide range of LEGO themes. In an interesting twist, the display can be switched into Birthday mode if a child is visiting the store on their birthday to be greeted by minifigures celebrating with them or to night time animations of minifigures going to bed. It will be interesting to see how this evolves over time with new product launches and to see if it is retrofitted to existing stores.
The pick-a-brick wall at 18 x 6 is somewhat larger than some, the room turns an angle which affords the full width for the wall behind the sales desk with lots of space and there is a cupboard running the full length where you could safely put your cups down whilst you stacked bricks.
The build-a-minifig bar has the new exclusive Halloween pieces which is surprising given it’s now well into November but there was a wide selection available.
This minibuild of a bull will be available during the grand opening events.
The store opens formally 9am 21st November with the VIP weekend on 23rd and 24th followed by the Grand Opening event 12th to 15th December.
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14 comments on this article
That wall.... drool!
It makes sense to have a bull in a labyrinth.
Ah the Bullring centre. Labyrinth indeed. One minute you are on one floor but then you seem to be on another. So confusing. Someone needs to build a model of Selfridges. For those that don't know it's basically a giant building that looks like it's made of bubble wrap.
If I remember correctly, someone did build a model of Selfridges and the Bull Ring surrounding area when the store was there before. Believe there was a story in the local press saying the model was lost for years when it closed, then eventually found and put in the Discovery Centre!
Anyway, all I want to know is, is that bull minifigure on the promo stuff available to buy, or is it a wait and see job like Lester from the London opening?!
:-(
The Bull Minifig is a mini-build in store during the grand opening.. eg. can't be bought, only built in store from the open pots of parts and taken home
Going tonight, absolutely reving to see this store it's a long awaited addition to the Bullring for me. Never went to the old store that closed year ago
The Bullring centre I am only starting to familiarise the layout of the centre, this store is awesome as I can now go to John Lewis, Debenhams, Selfridges, The Entertainer, LEGO Store, Disney Store and GAME to get LEGO sets in the complex of the Bullring & Grand Central
@Minifig290 and you can have the joy of the world's biggest Primark!!
@bookmum , Primark isn't my style personally never shopped there, though the Disney Café is quite an interesting thing I might want to visit .
So when did Birmingham's first LEGO store shut then? I had never heard of its existence until a couple of weeks ago, with a comment on some article about this new one.
^
It closed several years ago. I can remember seeing it once before I got back into Lego then I renewed my interest in 2012 and it had closed by then. I think they had a shop when the new Bull Ring opened but never renewed the lease after 5? years and it closed. I think that was during Legos financial troubles.
Looking forward to my visit there on Sunday morning - got my invite!!
I was joking about the going in the giant Primark @Minifig290! I do shop at Primark but it's never fun!
That PaB wall is HUGE!!!!!
I had a meeting in London yesterday so nipped into Leicester Sq before and Stratford after to see what the PaB wall had.. to be honest nothing interesting in either but some useful 1x2 tiles in Stratford (sand green, light brown, trans blue if anyone interested)... I know a couple of the Leicester Sq staff and mentioned Birmingham wall was larger - they weren't impressed ! as "flagship" store they didn't like to be 2nd best for anything.