LEGO stores around the world all follow a similar layout and formula. The age-old analogy of “If it’s not broken, don’t mend it” applies in so many ways, but the newly refurbished and expanded store in central London bucks the trend and delivers a modern and exciting experience for fans of LEGO, young and old.
Special guests, LEGO User Groups (LUG’s) and Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOL’s) were invited to attend an exclusive event to preview the store on August 9th, 24 hours ahead of its official reopening to the public. It was great to see so many friends from the LEGO collecting community gathered in one place. Many of us haven’t seen each other in person since before the pandemic, so it was nice to be able to catch up again.
When the call came to start filing into the store, it was immediately visible that store had undergone a major redesign. LEGO stores are bright and colourful places, but the first thing I noticed was the extra space. While some of the trademark displays are still in place, the move around feels to have opened up the ground floor area. The James Bond DB5 made from LEGO, with its lit-up headlamps and revolving number plate, it was an instant hit with a large queue for photo ops sat in the iconic car.
But it is the upper floor where the real changes have been made. For those who know the store, you used to get to the top of the stairs and the store opened out in front of you. Now, it is behind you was well. I would estimate the upper floor is over double the size it was originally, and LEGO have made the most of that space.
The main addition that really impressed me was the mini museum area. This is an extension of the museum in Billund and has artifacts on loan from the Vault. It was informative and gives someone who has never been to LEGO House in Billund the chance to have some of that experience. The displays will be rotated over time, so each visit should hold a new item or two in the collection, meaning you have an excuse to visit more often, not that I ever need one!
Store mascot, Lester was on hand to pose for photos with guests by the red London bus. Each guest who had their photo taken was presented with their polaroid picture in a presentation wallet to take home and keep.
The Minifigure Factory was very popular, and the printer is an impressive sight. At £10.99 per minifigure, you can create your own designs and have them printed onto your very own figure to take home. It’s not the cheapest thing to buy, but it is a great initiative and hope that other stores will see it rolled out in the future.
The Build and Take area was in constant use and was well stocked with all the elements and instruction sheets needed. The 2 mini builds on offer were a surfing scene and red brick sets. Both sets are really nice, with the red brick set being my personal favourite.
Shelves were well stocked and were constantly being restocked all evening. The Limited-Edition #1 LEGO Duck set (40501) was in high demand and stock was soon running low. Even the checkout area has had a revamp and now sits in the extension to the store.
I can’t finish off with saying thank you to all the staff at LEGO who were on hand to help with any query last night in the usual slick and professional way to which we are accustomed.
If you’re in London over the summer or the coming months, make sure you head to Leicester Square and check out the all-new experience when you visit the largest LEGO Store… in the world!
