LEGO store calendars discontinued
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO store calendars were previously the primary method of learning about future promotions, although their distribution has become inconsistent.
Unfortunately, the complete discontinuation of LEGO store calendars has now been confirmed, apparently in response to changing marketing strategies and the availability of promotional sets becoming less predictable.
Information about promotions will be available on LEGO.com though, hopefully providing notice of approaching promotions which we can publish here.
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79 comments on this article
this is the worst decision ever, most people plan out their spending in accordance with promotions throughout the month sometimes because they might not have enough money to buy everything. so now they´ll have to depend sorely on lego and leaks as to when to buy the sets they want, this is a horrible decision and I really do hope we get calenders back in the future
I'm not amused!
Lego is faceplanting right out of the gate in 2022
Maybe it is because of my country but I rarely ever saw one of these, and I tend to ask the employees what’s up or coming anyway.
It’s not like they don’t know my name there, or anything.
@bro_bricks said:
"this is the worst decision ever, most people plan out their spending in accordance with promotions throughout the month sometimes because they might not have enough money to buy everything. so now they´ll have to depend sorely on lego and leaks as to when to buy the sets they want, this is a horrible decision and I really do hope we get calenders back in the future "
I agree. This is sorely disappointing and I hope the calendars return. I need to figure out when to spend my money
@MeisterDad said:
"Maybe it is because of my country but I rarely ever saw one of these, and I tend to ask the employees what’s up or coming anyway.
It’s not like they don’t know my name there, or anything."
It's funny, we're from the same country but I consulted them every month (or everytime they were released, anyway). The closest LEGO store is 550km from my place, so asking employees for upcoming promos isn't an option for me.
While disappointing, it's not the end of the world. If anything, they should be sending out notifications through emails so long as you have asked for them. If you're a VIP, turn on notifications. If you're not and still place an order on LEGO.com, you're always asked if you would like to receive emails about upcoming products and whatnot. So while it's a shame to lose the calendar, if they give enough warning through emails, we should all be okay.
I believe this is a terrible decision by Lego to start the new year after a very disappointing end to 2021. With all the money that lego fans spend on their products they should do everything they can to assist us with knowing the best time to buy especially with so many large pricy sets coming out. They know the lego community loves these calendars so I just don't understand the decision. Hopefully they make up for this in other ways like..........maybe actually having things in stock on lego shop at home would be nice for starters.
@eiffel006 said:
" @MeisterDad said:
"Maybe it is because of my country but I rarely ever saw one of these, and I tend to ask the employees what’s up or coming anyway.
It’s not like they don’t know my name there, or anything."
It's funny, we're from the same country but I consulted them every month (or everytime they were released, anyway). The closest LEGO store is 550km from my place, so asking employees for upcoming promos isn't an option for me."
I'm in England and I've never seen a calendar like this before, and I wasn't even aware of its existence.
I guess I get to be smug this time because our LEGO Certified Stores are still putting out calendars, for now.
Unpredictable availability of stock (from place to place) for GWPs seems to be behind this. Although disappointed, I can understand the decision.
I was wondering why the January calendar hasn't been added to the Lego website! I just figured the person they assign that task to was on sick leave or vacation and forgot to tell anyone. ;)
I understand their reasoning with the availability issues in the current climate of shipping delays, but I agree that this is a poor decision if they aren't going to provide an alternative way to inform customers of upcoming promotions, particularly in advance of the promotion, not "surprise, this weekend only this is the deal." I planned my shopping based on promotions to get the most value for my money. I do the majority of my shopping at the Lego B&M store but also place orders online; the hard part for me is that the store is an hour drive so I don't go there on a whim. I get the VIP and customer notifications and they usually have given about a week's notice on promotions but I'd prefer a month in advance.
@bro_bricks said:
"this is the worst decision ever, most people plan out their spending in accordance with promotions throughout the month sometimes because they might not have enough money to buy everything. so now they´ll have to depend sorely on lego and leaks as to when to buy the sets they want, this is a horrible decision and I really do hope we get calenders back in the future "
This, to me, reeks of the same decision as not being able to redeem your VIP points straight off of the card. They’re making the process intentionally harder so you’re more likely to just spend the money rather than plan around it. An awful, anti-consumer move, but one that will likely work for them
If it was a few years back I'd definitely be more sorely disappointed, but as of the more recent calendars - well, just take a look at the one used as an example for this article, it's mostly blank!
Covid and supply chain issues mean stuff is more in flux, so I can understand not wanting to commit things to print only for them to change and have egg on their face later on - I only hope this means we get a bit more heads-up for gifts via the website though, to even out the balance.
Now there's nothing to obviate the risk of placing an order and missing out on an offer or desirable GWP a few days later. Seems a shame.
Thumbs down.
Dislike.
@Kathleen said:
"Unpredictable availability of stock (from place to place) for GWPs seems to be behind this. Although disappointed, I can understand the decision. "
I understand the reason behind the decision and on the plus side I guess it will be nice to not be disappointed when a promo is cancelled that you were excited about. still a total bummer though lol.
I time my purchases with a good GWP. Typically a GWP can help me make a decision to purchase a set period, let alone at lego. I will be buying fewer lego sets now...so dumb. Other sets I'll wait for discounts elsewhere.
I think it’s understandable from their perspective, but of course a shame for those of us that consult them for the promotions. I doubt it will affect their sales though, a large number of people buy without even knowing there is a calendar or a certain time of the year that’s best to buy.
Disappointing, sure, but it seems like a real big stretch to paint this as a faceplant, anti-consumer, or their worst decision ever. Look at the most recent calendars. One promo in November, and the most noteworthy thing in December is a reindeer that doesn't even exist.
It's wild that we're this far into the current situation and so few people seem to understand why the supply chains aren't in full swing. It's not a good idea to advertise gwps that you can't guarantee, (and quite a few people have been endlessly upset about in-store offers atm,) so ending the calendars for the time being makes total sense.
I don't know exactly what details can or can't be given, but I'd be interested to see the wording of the post from the LAN. Not every outlet agrees that the discontinuation is permanent, which I think is somewhat key here
If a promotional GWP is advertised and then runs out immediately then customers are not happy. It’s not a good idea to promise and under-deliver, so from that perspective this is a good call.
Maybe they’ll be a replacement email newsletter for local store events or something. Or maybe this already exists, I don’t know.
So based on Brick Foundation's Video on YouTube, they still have them but are for employee's eyes only. The year of the Tiger set comes out on Jan 10th. with purchase of $85 or more and a yellow vintage taxi comes out at the end of the month with a GWP over $200.
Also I see the monthly subscription thing being involved in this down the line as the only way to get the GWP sets or promo items. I'll keep this post screen shot and see if I'm right in a year.
Getting rid of the calendar for non-employees seems like the first step in their process.
@bro_bricks said:
"this is the worst decision ever, most people plan out their spending in accordance with promotions throughout the month sometimes because they might not have enough money to buy everything. so now they´ll have to depend sorely on lego and leaks as to when to buy the sets they want, this is a horrible decision and I really do hope we get calenders back in the future "
This decision is worse than filling the Hindenberg with Hydrogen? Or Napolean/Hitler trying to invade Russia? Or the Prohibition?
I mean, I agree with all the rest you said, but let's face it; but let's put it in a little perspective ;)
think the biggest problem is they havent given us a replacement to the calendar or any knowledge of how to find out what free gifts are comming out soon they have done this on the shush hope no one notices way
Makes perfect sense. Between COVID limiting in-store events and supply chain issues, the calendars have been pretty empty for months anyway. I'm sure they'll come back when (if?) we go back to normal.
"But I plan my spending based on promos!" Well set aside the amount you were willing to spend and then wait for promos to come up. 90% of the 2021 sets have been sold out/backordered anyway so I don't know what people were even able to buy before the 2022 wave released.
We never had this here, so... not a problem for me.
@fakespacesquid said:
"I don't know exactly what details can or can't be given, but I'd be interested to see the wording of the post from the LAN. Not every outlet agrees that the discontinuation is permanent, which I think is somewhat key here"
The statement on the LAN suggests to me that there are no plans to bring the calendars back, but they are intending to update the LEGO store pages on LEGO.com more frequently by way of replacement.
Ideally, LEGO would simply publish a digital version of the calendar which could be swiftly updated should any promotions require changes or cancellation. We used to do publish something similar under the 'Buy' tab on Brickset, using information from the store calendars around the world, but their availability and accuracy became so patchy that we stopped.
@dutchbrickdad said:
This decision is worse than filling the Hindenberg with Hydrogen? Or Napolean/Hitler trying to invade Russia? Or the Prohibition?
I mean, I agree with all the rest you said, but let's face it; but let's put it in a little perspective ;)]
*this is the worst decision lego has made since vidiyo.( sorry I had just woken up and was a bit annoyed with lego after the jan 1st situation with StarWars) :)
Eh, at least now I'll have an excuse for always putting in a big order the day before the triple VIP points promotion goes live.
@LegoSonicBoy said:
"I guess I get to be smug this time because our LEGO Certified Stores are still putting out calendars, for now."
Yea, but only a couple of hours before midnight on the last day of the month. Of all the new sets available from 1st Jan (3rd Jan here) only 4 were shown on the website in advance. That's as good as nothing for planning spend!
At least Lego show the sets in advance with release dates and prices.
@CCC said:
"It looks like they cannot manage their supply chains well enough to plan ahead. I guess it also means that if things are selling well, then they don't need to bother doing a promotion and then suddenly do one when sales are dropping at certain times of the year. Although that might mean Easter bunnies in autumn.
"
You're right, it's silly that Lego can't get it settled since every other company and country has gotten their supply chains completely solved. No problems anywhere else for any reason, nope, it's just Lego faceplanting.
Not a great start to the year for Lego IMHO. I always look forward to getting the modular on the stroke of midnight, safe in the knowledge I will get a decent GWP for the amount I am spending. Not this Jan though with the pathetic polybag offerings.
And now this - odd.
That said, as long as they publish what the promotions will be for the WHOLE month BEFORE the months starts, then I don't see an issue. Like may others have said already, I decide when to purchase often based on how keen I am with the GWP.
And if they are going to start pushing promotions in to a subscription model only, then boo to them. Lets wait and see, but I think it will happen.
If they want to drive up customer engagement, they should allow you to tag your 'preferred' store in your VIP profile and send you more relevant notifications i.e. store events for your store.. the days of having to go look at a web page periodically just in case are in the past. They should be able to profile/manage tailored information IF they truly want to drive up engagement. Dropping store calendars could be perfect opportunity to do something better.
@bro_bricks said:
"this is the worst decision ever, most people plan out their spending in accordance with promotions throughout the month sometimes because they might not have enough money to buy everything. so now they´ll have to depend sorely on lego and leaks as to when to buy the sets they want, this is a horrible decision and I really do hope we get calenders back in the future "
Yes...the elimination of "strategic purchasing". Or us fans would like to call it...maximizing our LEGO dollars.
LEGO realizes it no longer has to make incentives to sell LEGO now nor is it "safe" to advertise something that may or may not be available due to supply chain issues.
@medleyj said:
"So based on Brick Foundation's Video on YouTube, they still have them but are for employee's eyes only. The year of the Tiger set comes out on Jan 10th. with purchase of $85 or more and a yellow vintage taxi comes out at the end of the month with a GWP over $200.
Also I see the monthly subscription thing being involved in this down the line as the only way to get the GWP sets or promo items. I'll keep this post screen shot and see if I'm right in a year.
Getting rid of the calendar for non-employees seems like the first step in their process. "
Totally agree - there is a survey for 150 VIP points on the Lego VIP page asking you for opinions on two different subscription programs they are considering introducing - both costing £4.99 per month - both mention if you subscribe you will get access to exclusive sets - free delivery - GWP - free gift with every delivery - access to potentially buy from Lego discontinued products
The survey closes on the 7th Jan
@eiffel006 said:
" @MeisterDad said:
"Maybe it is because of my country but I rarely ever saw one of these, and I tend to ask the employees what’s up or coming anyway.
It’s not like they don’t know my name there, or anything."
It's funny, we're from the same country but I consulted them every month (or everytime they were released, anyway). The closest LEGO store is 550km from my place, so asking employees for upcoming promos isn't an option for me."
Sorry to be facetious, but do they have telephones in Canada?….
;)
@medleyj said:
"So based on Brick Foundation's Video on YouTube, they still have them but are for employee's eyes only. The year of the Tiger set comes out on Jan 10th. with purchase of $85 or more and a yellow vintage taxi comes out at the end of the month with a GWP over $200.
Also I see the monthly subscription thing being involved in this down the line as the only way to get the GWP sets or promo items. I'll keep this post screen shot and see if I'm right in a year.
Getting rid of the calendar for non-employees seems like the first step in their process. "
Yep, get ready for the enacting (imposing?) of the subscriptions, and for different "reward levels" of the subscriptions down the line.
Seeing a whole lot of vitriol about this. I can say that while I found the information from the calendars valuable, I have never physically handled one.
So I was relying on a system where a third parry went out, got a calendar, posted it online, and then had to hope that if any of that information ever changed it was some how disseminated back through that same channel.
Posting information about upcoming promotions exclusively through the website just makes more sense.
They should probably post a calendar noting precisely when this will take effect.
@Fatoran:
They did really screw that up out of the gate, but they also mostly fixed it without a lot of people noticing. _Before_ they start ringing up your purchase, a LEGO Store cashier can scan your VIP card and access your point total or cash in points for the type of voucher that can be used in stores. They can also redeem the vouchers on your purchase if you’ve already cashed in points before your visit. Any other rewards you’ll have to do online or over the phone, and if you wait until they’ve started ringing up your purchase, they’ll have to back out if it before going into your VIP account. If things are slow, you might be able to get away with having a second cashier run the points on a different register, but generally you’ll want to speak up so they don’t have to ring up your order twice.
@Ayliffe:
I heard they stopped printing physical copies a few years ago. Are you saying that’s not true in the UK?
@dutchbrickdad:
I wouldn’t even rank it with letting Joss Whedon butcher Justice League, but as I’ve already said, I haven’t seen a physical calendar in years.
@TomKazutara:
Swing by your local hardware store on your way home from buying 40499. Just make sure you pick a plastic-safe paint.
I just want to know whether or not that white reindeer will ever show up in a set. Would be a shame (and quite bizarre) if they just made it up for the calendar and nothing else.
Boohoo to them. I barely buy from Lego directly anyway. And Always when they had a good gwp (usually around christmas).
Now i guess i wont even do that. I'll spend my vip pts on some battle pack and be done with them. The sales on other stores are way better and more often than Lego stores anyway.
Good luck to them...
LEGO will still have ways to draw people to their sites beside GWP.
For example, from about 2020, made some City sets exclusive to LEGO.com in Europe at least. (not the minifig packs, actual sets)
Well this is a bummer.
I always looked forward to the last few days of the month to peruse the new calendar online and see what’s on the docket for the following month. It’s always been a great way to get a heads up on GWP promotions and VIP events.
On the bright side, if Lego manages to keep us updated via other channels it may not end up being a huge loss. Time will tell, I suppose, but my initial reaction is disappointment.
I have a feeling the calendar will change to a more digital format over the coming months, meaning they can include a 'subject to change/availability' disclaimer more easily. Also, if this means they can cut an "unnecessary" cost somewhere, surely that's a good thing for us.
ALSO: Can any of you nice people remind me how it works with GWP qualification and using VIP vouchers? For example, I have my eye on the Taxi that should be coming out on January 28th, but it has a $200/£200 threshold. If my original basket is over that amount, but I also use £65 in online vouchers, will I still get the GWP? Thanks in advance.
@iknow_kung_fu said:
"I have a feeling the calendar will change to a more digital format over the coming months, meaning they can include a 'subject to change/availability' disclaimer more easily. Also, if this means they can cut an "unnecessary" cost somewhere, surely that's a good thing for us.
ALSO: Can any of you nice people remind me how it works with GWP qualification and using VIP vouchers? For example, I have my eye on the Taxi that should be coming out on January 28th, but it has a $200/£200 threshold. If my original basket is over that amount, but I also use £65 in online vouchers, will I still get the GWP? Thanks in advance."
GWPs are added to your order before you begin the payment process, so the vouchers used can't (shouldn't) affect the other goodies
@fakespacesquid said:
" @iknow_kung_fu said:
"I have a feeling the calendar will change to a more digital format over the coming months, meaning they can include a 'subject to change/availability' disclaimer more easily. Also, if this means they can cut an "unnecessary" cost somewhere, surely that's a good thing for us.
ALSO: Can any of you nice people remind me how it works with GWP qualification and using VIP vouchers? For example, I have my eye on the Taxi that should be coming out on January 28th, but it has a $200/£200 threshold. If my original basket is over that amount, but I also use £65 in online vouchers, will I still get the GWP? Thanks in advance."
GWPs are added to your order before you begin the payment process, so the vouchers used can't (shouldn't) affect the other goodies"
Thank you, that's what I thought it was. Awesome. Not just have to hope that Taxi isn't cancelled like the calendars! Lol
I feel like I live in a completely different universe than most posters here. The calendar never affected me at all. If anything, it was very difficult to find in Canada. Bar the occasional mention ahead of time on here, I'd just wait for official e-mails and time my purchases during GWP or 2X VIP points periods. There's really nothing difficult about that?
LEGO GROUP: We stopped producing promotional calendars because we hate you
CONSUMERS: Don't worry, we hate you too.
@iknow_kung_fu said:
".....I have my eye on the Taxi that should be coming out on January 28th"
What taxi!? :)
@MCLegoboy said:
"So while it's a shame to lose the calendar, if they give enough warning through emails, we should all be okay."
Which is good in theory, but they don’t. Store calendars appear online at the end of the month for the following month so you get a good look ahead on how to plan your purchases. Promotional emails from Lego are usually sent once the GWP is already active so there’s no leeway for you to plan.
Instagram leaks will probably be the best source of finding out what GWPs will be coming out moving forward.
@Chilis_no said:
" @iknow_kung_fu said:
".....I have my eye on the Taxi that should be coming out on January 28th"
What taxi!? :)
"
Chilis_no, I hope this turns out to be correct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvoq7hGDk7c
I regret not getting the teal Cadillac, and this looks a similar size.
Everyone in these comments is so entitled. Get over yourselves lmao
It's upsetting to me because the email notifications from LEGO come late- at the last minute- and provide scant information. The calendar was useful to see what was coming several weeks in advance and plan accordingly. At least we have Brickset!
Unfortunately, this issue will dovetail nicely with many longtime collectors' current feelings that LEGO no longer cares much about them. 'The customer is always wrong and will be made into something better.' This is new adage of contemporary business practices.
There is only so much space and money. Perhaps LEGO is just trying to make it easier for me to wean myself from their addictive, awesome, brightly-colored plastic?
This is an admission of failure on the part of Lego. Hopefully it isn't a sign of more failures to come in 2022.
@StyleCounselor said:
"It's upsetting to me because the email notifications from LEGO come late- at the last minute- and provide scant information. The calendar was useful to see what was coming several weeks in advance and plan accordingly. At least we have Brickset!
Unfortunately, this issue will dovetail nicely with many longtime collectors' current feelings that LEGO no longer cares much about them. 'The customer is always wrong and will be made into something better.' This is new adage of contemporary business practices.
There is only so much space and money. Perhaps LEGO is just trying to make it easier for me to wean myself from their addictive, awesome, brightly-colored plastic?"
To be fair, the customer is usually wrong. The only people who say 'the customer is always right' are ones that never deal with customers
@iknow_kung_fu said:
" @Chilis_no said:
" @iknow_kung_fu said:
".....I have my eye on the Taxi that should be coming out on January 28th"
What taxi!? :)
"
Chilis_no, I hope this turns out to be correct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvoq7hGDk7c
I regret not getting the teal Cadillac, and this looks a similar size."
Thanks alot! That's the same taxi as in the Daily Bugle! Fancy..
@AdultsAreTalking said:
"Everyone in these comments is so entitled. Get over yourselves lmao"
Perfect match between comment and screen name
Well I don't see a problem of getting rid of calendars in stores, but LEGO should still provide online calendars. It's barely any effort since it's online.
@Igloo said:
" @LegoSonicBoy said:
"I guess I get to be smug this time because our LEGO Certified Stores are still putting out calendars, for now."
Yea, but only a couple of hours before midnight on the last day of the month. Of all the new sets available from 1st Jan (3rd Jan here) only 4 were shown on the website in advance. That's as good as nothing for planning spend!
At least Lego show the sets in advance with release dates and prices."
Brick Shop LCS shows the sets and prices days before on their website ;)
I thought we were gonna start 2022 good. This is sad. :(
@MainBricker said:
"Let's face it it's only worth buying Lego direct when there's an offer on, everything can be bought cheaper elsewhere."."
You're right, buying directly during an offer is mostly only worth it for the sets that never are sold elsewhere (can vary per region), and I'm not talking the big sets only, this also includes some of the City sets (small ones as well, usually the ones not in catalogs), all of Monkie Kid, Seasonal etc.
Oh goodness! The horror! We are now completely uninformed! How we mourn the loss of a piece of paper! It's almost as if we are not frequenting a website that would regularly update us on LEGO news!
Bad move, LEGO!
I rarely consulted these anyway so I won’t even notice the change. I’ll continue to rely on Brickset to inform us when important things happen.
@medleyj said:
"So based on Brick Foundation's Video on YouTube, they still have them but are for employee's eyes only. The year of the Tiger set comes out on Jan 10th. with purchase of $85 or more and a yellow vintage taxi comes out at the end of the month with a GWP over $200.
Also I see the monthly subscription thing being involved in this down the line as the only way to get the GWP sets or promo items. I'll keep this post screen shot and see if I'm right in a year.
Getting rid of the calendar for non-employees seems like the first step in their process. "
Didn't LEGO try the subscription thing with the failed Brickmaster "polybag every month" in the 2000s?
@fakespacesquid:
It’s not meant to be a statement of fact. It’s a business philosophy. If you treat the customers like they’re always wrong, pretty soon you won’t have any left. It’s said that it takes 3-4 positive experiences to counter one bad experience (most customer experiences are merely neutral). If the customer is already upset, pointing out how they screwed up just doubles down on that issue, which will absolutely be told to anyone who will listen to them.
@Norikins said:
"Oh goodness! The horror! We are now completely uninformed! How we mourn the loss of a piece of paper! It's almost as if we are not frequenting a website that would regularly update us on LEGO news!"
Where exactly do you think the website gets that news from? This is pretty transparently an action meant to remove our ability to plan when to buy sets at their cheapest
@ChromedCat said:
" @Igloo said:
" @LegoSonicBoy said:
"I guess I get to be smug this time because our LEGO Certified Stores are still putting out calendars, for now."
Yea, but only a couple of hours before midnight on the last day of the month. Of all the new sets available from 1st Jan (3rd Jan here) only 4 were shown on the website in advance. That's as good as nothing for planning spend!
At least Lego show the sets in advance with release dates and prices."
Brick Shop LCS shows the sets and prices days before on their website ;)"
Thanks, I'll check that out, I was referring to Bricksworld...
LEGO: Hey, what do you think about a subscription service where you pay $5 a month to get GWP with every purchase?
Customer: Sounds interesting. How do the GWP compare with the GWP already available each month?
LEGO: We're not going to tell you what you can get without the membership.
@fakespacesquid said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"It's upsetting to me because the email notifications from LEGO come late- at the last minute- and provide scant information. The calendar was useful to see what was coming several weeks in advance and plan accordingly. At least we have Brickset!
Unfortunately, this issue will dovetail nicely with many longtime collectors' current feelings that LEGO no longer cares much about them. 'The customer is always wrong and will be made into something better.' This is new adage of contemporary business practices.
There is only so much space and money. Perhaps LEGO is just trying to make it easier for me to wean myself from their addictive, awesome, brightly-colored plastic?"
To be fair, the customer is usually wrong. The only people who say 'the customer is always right' are ones that never deal with customers"
Bottom-level employees are usually the only ones given the freedom to believe that. Those who rely upon customers to pay bills have to develop solutions regardless of what we trully think about a costomer's motivations/desires/behaviors.
LEGO believes that only the best is good enough. Continually and suddenly altering their business practices speaks of a lack of flexibility, creativity, and transparency. It shows immaturity. A bare minimum should be instituting a new system before retiring the old system. Having no system (to advertise upcoming sales) and no communication with its biggest customers and fans is inexcusable.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @fakespacesquid said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"It's upsetting to me because the email notifications from LEGO come late- at the last minute- and provide scant information. The calendar was useful to see what was coming several weeks in advance and plan accordingly. At least we have Brickset!
Unfortunately, this issue will dovetail nicely with many longtime collectors' current feelings that LEGO no longer cares much about them. 'The customer is always wrong and will be made into something better.' This is new adage of contemporary business practices.
There is only so much space and money. Perhaps LEGO is just trying to make it easier for me to wean myself from their addictive, awesome, brightly-colored plastic?"
To be fair, the customer is usually wrong. The only people who say 'the customer is always right' are ones that never deal with customers"
Bottom-level employees are usually the only ones given the freedom to believe that. Those who rely upon customers to pay bills have to develop solutions regardless of what we trully think about a costomer's motivations/desires/behaviors.
LEGO believes that only the best is good enough. Continually and suddenly altering their business practices speaks of a lack of flexibility, creativity, and transparency. It shows immaturity. A bare minimum should be instituting a new system before retiring the old system. Having no system (to advertise upcoming sales) and no communication with its biggest customers and fans is inexcusable. "
*those who rely upon customers but don't have to interact with them. It's all well and good to formulate positivity strategies to enhance synergy when you don't have to actually deal with anybody or carry any of it out.
It's pretty hilarious to insinuate 'no communication with its biggest customers and fans' when we have, yk, the LAN and the LUG system. Even after losing a few community outreach spots, there are still several, several methods of communication that Lego uses. It's also just not true to try and imply that the paper calendars were THE communication with their BIGGEST customers. A fair amount of people *here* weren't even aware they existed, and we're all aware of the fact that Afols aren't really Lego's biggest customers. Are we suggesting that parents buying for their kids were scouring for the calendars each month to maximize their Lego dollars?
Also, what would you suggest? Implement the email alerts before getting rid of the calendars? It's not like they've been sending out email alerts for a decade. If only they listened to your sage advice
@fakespacesquid said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @fakespacesquid said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"It's upsetting to me because the email notifications from LEGO come late- at the last minute- and provide scant information. The calendar was useful to see what was coming several weeks in advance and plan accordingly. At least we have Brickset!
Unfortunately, this issue will dovetail nicely with many longtime collectors' current feelings that LEGO no longer cares much about them. 'The customer is always wrong and will be made into something better.' This is new adage of contemporary business practices.
There is only so much space and money. Perhaps LEGO is just trying to make it easier for me to wean myself from their addictive, awesome, brightly-colored plastic?"
To be fair, the customer is usually wrong. The only people who say 'the customer is always right' are ones that never deal with customers"
Bottom-level employees are usually the only ones given the freedom to believe that. Those who rely upon customers to pay bills have to develop solutions regardless of what we trully think about a costomer's motivations/desires/behaviors.
LEGO believes that only the best is good enough. Continually and suddenly altering their business practices speaks of a lack of flexibility, creativity, and transparency. It shows immaturity. A bare minimum should be instituting a new system before retiring the old system. Having no system (to advertise upcoming sales) and no communication with its biggest customers and fans is inexcusable. "
*those who rely upon customers but don't have to interact with them. It's all well and good to formulate positivity strategies to enhance synergy when you don't have to actually deal with anybody or carry any of it out.
It's pretty hilarious to insinuate 'no communication with its biggest customers and fans' when we have, yk, the LAN and the LUG system. Even after losing a few community outreach spots, there are still several, several methods of communication that Lego uses. It's also just not true to try and imply that the paper calendars were THE communication with their BIGGEST customers. A fair amount of people *here* weren't even aware they existed, and we're all aware of the fact that Afols aren't really Lego's biggest customers. Are we suggesting that parents buying for their kids were scouring for the calendars each month to maximize their Lego dollars?
Also, what would you suggest? Implement the email alerts before getting rid of the calendars? It's not like they've been sending out email alerts for a decade. If only they listened to your sage advice"
I'm referring to dealing with customers first-hand as a professional. Regardless of personal thoughts, we have to treat customers like gold (because they are). If I didn't, I wouldn't be in business.
The paper calendar isn't the issue. I don't believe anyone cares about having a piece of paper to touch. The point is the advance communication.
AFOLs are- almost by definition- the biggest customers and fans. We may be a drop in the bucket as a share of total sales. (However, recent interviews with LEGO execs would belie that). Nevertheless, my statement is true.
@magmafrost said:
" @Norikins said:
"Oh goodness! The horror! We are now completely uninformed! How we mourn the loss of a piece of paper! It's almost as if we are not frequenting a website that would regularly update us on LEGO news!"
Where exactly do you think the website gets that news from? This is pretty transparently an action meant to remove our ability to plan when to buy sets at their cheapest"
Oh no, a for profit company won't help you spend less on their products, what an awful for profit company to do so!
Don't you have a website in your country that shows the best deals and offers for any kind of product? Lack of this calendar changes only your habit, not the situation. As a European I must say that those calendars were rarely something I would refer to. Websites are much quicker and easier to access and if I want to buy lego the cheapest it is almost always from 3rd party seller.
Well overhere we didn’t have any sort of calenders but you could have a newsletter subscription to any local lego store and they will send messages of upcoming promos which was convenient.
@StyleCounselor:
I did care about the paper calendars, back when we could still get them in the US. I was trying to keep a complete run going from the time our local LEGO Store opened in 2010, but I think I missed a few, and then they just stopped printing them in the US.
As for how AFOLs stack up, there was a time when many believed we accounted for the majority of sales based solely on how much many spent in a single purchase compared to other customers. At the same time, TLG believed we were a drop in the bucket based on how small a percentage we were of their overall customer base. When the VIP program kicked off, they finally had a way to gauge the number of AFOLs vs regular customers, against the spending habits of both groups. They haven’t given any updates since then, but I do remember hearing that we were only around 5% of the total customer base, and around 25% of the total purchasing. In just the last two years, there’s been a surge in pandemic buyers, so I’d be really curious to see how those numbers have changed in general over the years, but particularly where they stand at the moment, how they’re trending, and where they end up a few years after the pandemic is behind us.
@PurpleDave
Always interesting to get good detailed information. Thanks!
I also loved the paper calendars. Yet, I always felt guilty about the environmental cost of paper and print. This is especially since they would try to stuff one in your bag for every purchase in store and mail another 2 each month to us (one addressed to me and another for my son).
What I really miss is the free monthy builds for the kids. That was always a crazy day. The store full of excited kids. Besides, addicted AFOL parents like me could always be counted on to spend around $100 on new sets and the PaB.
@StyleCounselor:
Huh. I never got one mailed to me. Closest I got was receiving one in every shipment for online orders. If the shipment got split up three ways, I got three calendars for that order.
@magmafrost said:
" @Norikins said:
"Oh goodness! The horror! We are now completely uninformed! How we mourn the loss of a piece of paper! It's almost as if we are not frequenting a website that would regularly update us on LEGO news!"
Where exactly do you think the website gets that news from? This is pretty transparently an action meant to remove our ability to plan when to buy sets at their cheapest"
And for me, it will likely result in me purchasing considerably less LEGO. This is what happened to me last time that LEGO stopped producing monthly calendars. They stopped producing calendars, and during that time, my purchases dropped considerably. Then the calendars suddenly started re-appearing again, and I started planning LEGO purchases again too. At the time when they reintroduced the calendars, LEGO cited loss of revenues correlating to the removal of the monthly calendar as one of the reasons for bringing them back. I guess the LEGO group did not learn from history, as they are now doomed for repeating history. How long will it take LEGO this time to discover the errors in their ways.
Just in case anyone is still following this conversation, I wanted to share a quote from an email I received from a Lego store manager:
"At the moment promotions can change at any time due to availability and being able to get the stock physically into the stores, so unfortunately we cannot commit to a calendar in advance at the moment - hopefully this will change in the future as we also loved to have them in the store!"