LEGO continues to expand with new licensed themes, now including Peppa Pig in the DUPLO range! The press release follows:
Hello Peppa Pig! Hello Daddy Pig! The LEGO Group Welcomes PEPPA PIG Franchise into LEGO DUPLO
A delightfully unexpected mashup of companies founded in fun and play is now revealed between the LEGO Group, Hasbro and Merlin Entertainments, who are coming together to bring a truly joyful and beloved character to life in LEGO DUPLO form – PEPPA PIG!
Just in time for PEPPA PIG’s 20th anniversary, the companies are celebrating everyone’s favorite piggy with new experiences for toddlers. With a shared commitment to create and deliver great play experiences to children all around the world, the three brands will introduce new ways for preschoolers to engage with the much adored and globally celebrated PEPPA PIG character, known for her little snorts, giggles and love of jumping in muddy puddles.
LEGO Replay was launched gradually in North America between 2019 and 2021, accepting donations of bricks to clean and redistribute. Now the trial has expanded to the UK and the press release follows:
The LEGO Group unveils trial of brick take-back service LEGO Replay in the UK
We are piloting our brick take-back service LEGO Replay in the UK and inviting fans to join us as we test how to bring playful learning to more children, and stop LEGO bricks becoming waste.
The good news is that most people in the UK already have a plan for any LEGO bricks they no longer need: 94% of families who’ve decided to pass them on do so to friends, family, charities or local schools, or they sell them* – helping to ensure LEGO bricks are played with again and again.
For anyone that doesn’t know what to do with their unused LEGO bricks, LEGO Replay provides an easy option for ensuring those bricks continue to inspire play and creativity for children.
The new pilot programme will test new uses for the bricks donated by families and fans in the UK. During this exploratory phase, the returned used bricks will be recycled into new items that support learning in schools, such as storage boxes for toys.
LEGO has today announced earnings for the first six months of 2023 and, as in recent years, it has seen growth in sales and revenue, although not as much as in the same period of 2022. Here are the headlines and full press release:
Consumer sales grew 3 percent vs H1 2022 as demand for relevant and diverse portfolio continued.
Revenue was DKK 27.4 billion, a growth of one percent versus an exceptional H1 2022.
Market share grew significantly as the LEGO Group outperformed a declining toy market.
Operating profit was DKK 6.4 billion compared with DKK 7.9 billion in H1 2022. This is in line with company expectations as it accelerated long-term strategic initiatives such as manufacturing, digital and sustainability. Net profit was DKK 5.1 billion vs DKK 6.2 billion H1 2022.
Free cash flow was DKK 1.1 billion after investing in building new factories and expanding existing facilities.
Pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 across its full supply chain.
BILLUND, August 30, 2023: The LEGO Group today announced earnings for the first six months of 2023. Revenue was DKK 27.4 billion, a growth of one percent compared with H1 2022. Consumer sales grew three percent outperforming a declining toy market and contributing to strong market share growth.
LEGO has detailed its presence at San Diego Comic-Con, which starts today. You can expect set displays, sculptures, panels, and more!
The press release follows:
Booth #2829 gives attendees a nostalgic, playful LEGO experience from July 20 – July 23
As 2023 San Diego Comic-Con kicks off, the LEGO Group, in collaboration with DISH and Blockbuster Video, unveils LEGO Brickbuster Video, an unforgettable experience marrying the worlds of entertainment, nostalgia and play for all. Fans can expect an action-packed agenda of playful experiences, photo opportunities, product reveals, branded panels, and show-only opportunities from Thursday through Sunday.
“We always aim to provide an unforgettable fan experience at San Diego Comic-Con. There was a time where you could find your favorite movies, video games, and TV shows all under one magical roof at the local Blockbuster, so we knew the retro video store could help unify all the exciting LEGO play worlds we offer,” said Maddie Boushie, senior brand manager at the LEGO Group. “Our LEGO Brickbuster Video experience houses beloved entertainment and video gaming properties together with new LEGO building sets and hands-on building activities, offering fans a chance to unlock their imaginations and inspire their next playful adventure.”
LEGO has announced its ambition to cancel an increasing number of sets, with fans voting for which should be cancelled:
The LEGO Group announces commitment to cancel 10% of planned products by 2025
The LEGO Group today announced an ambitious goal of cancelling 10% of its own products annually by 2025, potentially rising to 20% by 2030. This creative strategy follows the successful pilot program introduced in 2020, which began with the thrilling cancellation of 42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.
The LEGO Group’s commitment to quality is strengthened by this initiative, freeing up resources across the organisation to focus purely on products that will deliver even stronger commercial results.
The response to the pilot program has been tremendous. According to research conducted between 2020 and 2022, interest in products cancelled up to one month before their scheduled release is 61% higher than equivalent products that are available to purchase.
LEGO has today published its annual results for last year in the LEGO.com newsroom.
The company has seen another jump in revenue, up 17%, but net profit increased by just 4%, as a result of inflation and increased capital investments in a number of areas including a new production facility in Vietnam. It achieved growth in all markets which was especially strong in the Americas and Europe.
Here's the press release in full:
The LEGO Group delivers strong growth in 2022 and invests in the future
Marks its 90th anniversary reaching more children with LEGO play than ever before.
Revenue grew 17 percent to DKK 64.6 billion.
Operating profit grew 5 percent to DKK 17.9 billion.
Net profit grew 4 percent to DKK 13.8 billion.
Free cash flow was DKK 9.3 billion.
Market share grew globally.
Momentum driven by large-scale investments in long-term strategic initiatives.
BILLUND, DENMARK, March 7, 2023: The LEGO Group today reported strong earnings for the full year of 2022, significantly outpacing the toy market and gaining market share. Revenue for the full year grew 17 percent to DKK 64.6 billion compared with the same period last year, including the impact of foreign currency exchange rates. The performance was driven by strong demand for the company’s portfolio, retailer partnerships both online and instore, a robust e-commerce platform and a resilient global supply chain network.
LEGO has unexpectedly announced a plan to move their North American operations from Enfield, CT to Boston, MA. This will happen in phases starting in mid-2025, and the transition will be completed by the end of 2026.
You can read the full press release after the break!
LEGO has announced that DOTS, the craft-based theme launched in 2020, will be concluding after the March range is released.
The following statement has been provided by LEGO:
Dear all,
After careful consideration, we have decided to exit the LEGO DOTS theme and integrate tile-based play into other themes within our portfolio.
January and March launches of LEGO DOTS novelties will go ahead but also be our last on this theme, with all current items from 2022 remaining active in the product line up until the end of the year.
LEGO DOTS was launched in March 2020 with the ambition to connect with kids through their passion for arts & crafts – looking at encouraging self-expression and to attract new builders to the LEGO brand. It was a completely new style of building which used brightly coloured tiles to ignite creativity with LEGO fans, in a fun and unique way.
Ever-astute LEGO Star Wars fans noted an error when the much-anticipated 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack was announced, since the Clone Trooper Officer's rangefinder is misplaced in official images.
Inevitable conspiracy theories quickly arose, as the position shown on the packaging is more accurate than that on the physical minifigure.
Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, the Creative Lead for LEGO Star Wars, has therefore issued this statement:
"Creating new sets involves a number of different teams working together in parallel, and unfortunately in this case the printed box art for 75345 features a computer render of a Phase 2 Clone Trooper helmet that doesn’t reflect the final finished physical element and positioning of the range finder on the figure.
"In the final design of the physical helmet element, the visor dictates where holes for extra attachments need to be placed for them to sit. This is slightly higher than the position where the range finder is on the render found on the 75345 box."
LEGO has announced its involvement in Disney's centenary celebrations. The press release follows:
The LEGO Group to celebrate 100 years of Disney by sharing the playful wonder of LEGO Disney
As Disney marks its 100th anniversary in 2023, the LEGO Group will join the celebrations by inviting families to share the wonder of storytelling, imagination, and creative play that LEGO Disney has inspired over the last 24 years.
Using the ultimate creative medium of the LEGO brick, the two long-standing partners will honour fan-favourite Disney moments, capture the magic of exciting new Disney stories, and bring friends and families together to dream, build and create with magical new LEGO Disney products and play experiences unveiled throughout 2023.
Earlier today LEGO posted its financial results for the first half of this year. Sales and revenue have grown, while operating profit has remained the same.
Here;'s the full press release:
BILLUND, September 28, 2022: The LEGO Group today reported earnings for the six months ending June 30, 2022. Revenue for the period grew 17 percent to DKK 27.0 billion compared with the same period in 2021, driven by strong demand. Consumer sales grew 13 percent, significantly ahead of the toy industry, contributing to global market share growth.
LEGO has announced construction of another new factory in Virginia, USA, where production will commence in 2025.
The LEGO Group to build US $1bn, carbon-neutral run factory in Virginia, USA
The LEGO Group today announced plans to invest more than US$1 billion to build a new factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Once completed, the 1.7 million square foot (160,000m²) facility will employ more than 1,760 people.
The factory will be designed to operate as a carbon-neutral facility. 100 percent of its day-to-day energy needs will be matched by renewable energy generated by an onsite solar park. The site will also be designed to minimise energy consumption and use of non-renewable resources.
Niels B. Christiansen, CEO, the LEGO Group said: “This is an exciting step for the LEGO Group. More and more families are falling in love with LEGO building and we are looking forward to making LEGO bricks in the US, one of our largest markets. The location in Virginia allows us to build a solar park which supports our sustainability ambitions and provides easy links to country-wide transportation networks. We are also looking forward to creating fantastic employment opportunities for the people of Virginia.”
LEGO has announced that prices for some sets will rise from August and September, reflecting greater raw material and operating costs.
The press release follows:
The current global economic challenges of increased raw material and operating costs are impacting many businesses.
Putting consumers first is at the heart of what we do as a company, and for some time, we have absorbed these costs to keep pricing stable. However, as these costs have continued to rapidly rise, we have taken the decision to increase the price on some of our sets. This increase will come into effect in August and September.
LEGO has just issued a statement about the categorisation of Adults Welcome/18+ sets in its online store and elsewhere:
From June 1st, 2022, we will be uniting many of our adult focused LEGO sets under the name LEGO Icons to help our adult consumers easily to find new, immersive builds or models that link to their interests and passions, particularly when shopping or browsing online. The name LEGO Icons will span all of our sets designed for older builders that are not already part of an existing LEGO theme such as LEGO Technic, LEGO Ideas or LEGO Architecture.
This raises the question, then, what should we do in our database? At the moment 18+ sets are tagged as such but they reside within the appropriate themes. We have continued to categorise themeless ones as Creator Expert even though LEGO ceased to use that name in 2020.
The most obvious thing to do is to see what sets are labelled as Icons at LEGO.com on Wednesday then assign them to a new theme here, but then that would mean that, for example, modular buildings and winter village sets would be split across two themes, Icons and Creator Expert. Would that matter?
This year is the 90th anniversary of when LEGO started making toys. In addition to releasing a number of celebratory products, the company has other things planned as well. Here's a press release about what's going on:
Brick by Brick – building LEGO love for 90 years
This summer, the LEGO Group is celebrating the creativity of fans and the power of play as the new LEGO Play Well Study shows play is fundamental to the wellbeing and happiness of the whole family.
Ninety years ago, a Danish carpenter crafted a line of small wooden toys in his Billund, Denmark, workshop. His first collection had a modest 36 items that included cars, aircraft, and yoyos, all carefully crafted to help local children learn about the world.
What Ole Kirk Kristiansen couldn’t have known back in 1932, was that the LEGO Group would become one of the biggest toy companies in the world and inspire millions of children to play each year.
LEGO has just announced that the brand store in Watford will be closing when the lease expires in the autumn:
"Within LEGO Retail, we’re constantly assessing our store portfolio to ensure we provide the best LEGO experience for our shoppers and fans.
"Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to close our Watford, UK store when the lease ends in September 2022. We understand this will be sad and frustrating news for our local LEGO fans living within the Watford area, and we want to say a huge thank you for visiting and shopping in the LEGO Store Watford over the years, as we know this also includes many loyal adult fans of LEGO."
Thankfully, the staff have been offered jobs in other branches.
It is perhaps not surprising given Watford's proximity to London which has three brand stores in the west, centre and east of the city, and Milton Keynes, some 35 miles up the M1. It's the third store to close in the UK, following Kingston and the original one in Birmingham's Bullring.
I am sure this will upset many of you, including our very own DrDaveWatford who, as his online name implies, lives close to it.
Following the decidedly mixed reception during 2021, LEGO Con 2022 has just been announced!
Save the date: June 18th and join the fun with other LEGO fans and families all over the world for the 2nd virtual global LEGO CON event
Join the LEGO Group for the 2nd annual LEGO CON event that’s sure to bring hours of fun to LEGO fans and families around the world! Kicking off June 18th, this is the event no brick fanatic wants to miss. Audiences will be given a sneak peek behind the scenes and discover the amazing new things the LEGO Group has on offer, while sharing the experience alongside an awesome community centred around the same creative passion.
The first LEGO CON experience launched in 2021, and this year, we’re bringing all the fun back with brand new content and many more reveals!
When the Leicester Square brand store opened in 2016 it was the biggest in the world, and it's set to regain that crown once more. Here's a press release about what's planned:
Ready, set, build: renovation will see LEGO Store Leicester Square become the world’s largest
The revamped store will be the first in the UK to debut the new ‘Retailtainment’ concept that blends physical and digital immersive play experiences in-store
The relaunch will take place in the summer holidays following a short closure for renovations from 26th June.
LEGO fans in London and the UK are in for a treat this year as the LEGO Group is today announcing it will be overhauling its Leicester Square store to make it the brand’s largest in the world. The overhaul planned for this year will see it reclaim this crown. What’s more, it’ll also be the first store in the UK to feature the LEGO Group’s new ‘Retailtainment’ concept.
LEGO has announced an interesting partnership with Epic Games, developers of Fortnite and the versatile Unreal Engine.
The press release follows...
The LEGO Group and Epic Games team up to build a place for kids to play in the metaverse
The LEGO Group and Epic Games today announced they are entering a long-term partnership to shape the future of the metaverse to make it safe and fun for children and families. The two companies will team up to build an immersive, creatively inspiring and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together.
The family-friendly digital experience will give kids access to tools that will empower them to become confident creators and deliver amazing play opportunities in a safe and positive space.
Niels B Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group said: “Kids enjoy playing in physical and digital worlds and move seamlessly between the two. We believe there is huge potential for them to develop life-long skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication in both. We have a responsibility to make digital play safe, inspiring and beneficial for all, and just as we’ve protected children’s rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play. We look forward to working with Epic Games to shape this exciting and playful future.”
LEGO has published its annual results this morning. The headlines are:
Consumer sales grew 22 percent for the full year vs 2020.
Revenue grew 27 percent to DKK 55.3 billion compared with 2020.
Operating profit grew 32 percent to DKK 17.0 billion.
Net profit was DKK 13.3 billion in 2021 against DKK 9.9 billion in 2020. Profit grew strongly while the Group continued strategic investments to meet long-term growth.
Free cash flow was DKK 12.9 billion.
Market share grew in the largest markets.
You can read the full press release after the break.