Australia’s first ‘Lego Certified Store’, is set to open in November 2016. It will be located at Dreamw
orld, on Queensland’s Gold Coast. The shop will cover an area of 350 square meters, and as a Certified Store, is designed in partnership with the LEGO group. Construction is due to begin in July.
Owned, and operated by Ardent Leisure, Dreamworld’s parent company, the new store will feature exclusive products releases and events. Being located at Dream World, the LEGO Certified Store is looking to add to the attraction of the precinct, which is one of Australia’s top tourist destinations. There will be access to the store from outside and within the park: so you shouldn’t need to pay to get in. How much you pay before you leave is, of course, up to you!
LEGO Certified Stores are owned and operated by third parties, as opposed to LEGO brand stores seen throughout Europe and USA (which are owned and operated by LEGO). The store layout is fairly consistent around the world, and includes a ‘real’ Pick-a-Brick wall, a ‘Brand Ribbon’ display of assembled models, and the ‘Living Room’ – an interactive play area.
With tourist numbers in South East Queensland continuing to increase, the LEGO Certified Store will become a destination in itself for many LEGO fans, young and old, into the future.
This news follows on from the announcement of a LEGOland Discovery Centre opening in Melbourne in mid 2017, at Chadstone shopping Centre. It will be interesting to see how the retail experience to be offered there will differ to the one on the Gold Coast. The shops operating in LEGOland parks around the world are NOT operated as LEGO Brand Stores, and exclusive sets are not generally available to be purchased there. LEGOland Parks and Discovery Centres have been operated by Merlin since 2005, not the LEGO group.
Discussion on various forums regarding other LEGO Certified Stores around the world suggest that Pick-a-Brick walls, where you can fill a cup with a selection of pieces from wall mounted containers, are not a guaranteed feature. PaB purchases are also more likely to be charged by weight rather than volume. The other significant difference with LEGO Brand Stores is the applicability of LEGO VIP points. Apparently LEGO VIP points are not awarded at LEGO Certified Stores as they are in LEGO Brand Stores, nor can they be used to supplement your purchase. Exclusive sets are sold in the LEGO Certified Stores, so this will be a great opportunity for travellers to pick these set up BUT fitting them into your luggage may not be the thing if you are looking to maintain that ‘Mint In Sealed Box’ experience. The Lego Certified Store is likely to offer polybags and monthly builds. It is unclear as to whether these will be the same offers seen at LEGO brand stores.
The rambling brick is excited by this development, but is still going to visit Billund and other stores in Europe this year! Gold Coast will have to wait…
The full press release for today’s Announcement can be read here:
ARDENT BUILDS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH LEGO® Australia:
AUSTRALIA’S FIRST LEGO CERTIFIED STORE TO OPEN AT DREAMWORLD
Australia’s first LEGO® Certified Store will open at Dreamworld on Queensland’s Gold Coast later this year, following a new partnership agreement signed this week between global brand, The LEGO Group and Dreamworld’s parent company, Ardent Leisure.
Announcing the partnership today, Ardent Leisure CEO Deborah Thomas said the store would be the largest retail outlet at Dreamworld. Covering an area of 350 square metres, Dreamworld’s flagship LEGO Certified Store will be part of a stand-alone precinct located at the front of the park with access from within and external to the park. Construction will begin in July with the new store due to open in November 2016.
Ms Thomas said the project would be entirely funded by Ardent as part of the overall master plan for Dreamworld.
“LEGO is one of the best known, most successful and powerful global brands and we are delighted to partner with the LEGO team to further enhance and grow exclusive experiences at Dreamworld, Australia’s biggest theme park. As a LEGO Certified Store, it is designed in partnership with The LEGO Group and will have many different and exciting features, which will also include exclusive product releases and events.
“This new store will be a destination in its own right and an added attraction to the existing retailers, rides and experiences offered at Dreamworld. It is a hugely exciting development for Ardent Leisure, for Dreamworld guests and for tourism to Australia and South East Queensland,” said Ms Thomas.
Glenn Abell, General Manager for LEGO Australia and New Zealand said, “There’s no limit to the imagination and creativity that LEGO bricks can inspire. Our brand partnership with Ardent Leisure marks an exciting journey for LEGO Australia. LEGO Certified stores provide a unique and engaging LEGO Shopping experience. It is fantastic that we will be able to provide Australian children and families the opportunity to have a deeper engagement with the LEGO brand through this exciting partnership.
Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson welcomed the announcement as a win for the park and Gold Coast tourism:
“This will not only give Dreamworld’s millions of loyal customers a powerful incentive to visit their favourite theme park more often, but offers a new world class tourism experience for the burgeoning numbers of international and Australian tourists flocking to the Gold Coast,” said Craig Davidson.
“Only last month, Trip Advisor’s ‘Travellers Choice Awards’ saw millions of international travellers vote the Gold Coast in number 2 place (displacing Melbourne) in their “Top 10 Destinations, Australia” list for 2016. Little wonder that international tourism numbers to the Gold Coast are at record highs, with Chinese visitation alone up more than 20% on last year, making it Australia’s only major tourism destination to have China as its largest source of international visitors.
“The LEGO Certified Store will be a fully immersive experience and a LEGO builder’s paradise. The store will feature a Pick-a-Brick Wall, a custom-built fixture with round canisters, each filled with LEGO bricks and elements, “The Living Room”, an interactive play area and a “brand ribbon” display of fully assembled LEGO models. The LEGO Certified Store will have exclusive sets and regular hands- on activities for children and families to experience the creativity and imagination that goes into LEGO building.
“With the LEGO Certified Store, our passholders and guests will have access to exclusive LEGO product and special LEGO events adding even more value and complementing Dreamworld’s current stable of great entertainment, wildlife and thrill ride experiences,” said Craig Davidson.
For details and best value tickets, see Dreamworld.com.au -Ends-
Media Enquiries:
Dreamworld: Lyndal Dennis 0403 318 684 / Lara Boath 0409 897 010 / pr@dreamworld.com.au
ABOUT ARDENT LEISURE
Ardent Leisure Group is a leading leisure and entertainment business with a diverse portfolio of premier assets encompassing theme parks, bowling and family entertainment centres, health clubs and marinas. The businesses owned and operated by the publicly listed Ardent Leisure Group, (ASX AAD) have in common the delivery of outstanding guest experiences, exceptional customer service and exposure to growth markets. Our activities already span Australasia and are expanding across the United States. Ardent Leisure’s Australasian brands include Dreamworld, Skypoint, Goodlife, Kingpin, AMF, Playtime and D’Albora with Main Event Entertainment in the United States. http://www.ardentleisure.com
ABOUT DREAMWORLD
Australia’s biggest theme park, Dreamworld is happiness all in one place. Brave the ‘Big 9’ thrill rides, meet your favourite DreamWorks heroes and ABC KIDS characters, go wild at the all-new Tiger Cub Kindy*, and discover indigenous culture and Australian wildlife at Dreamworld Corroboree. Don’t miss our all new Motorsports Experience featuring the world’s first Hot Wheels themed rollercoaster – the Hot Wheels SideWinder – and the world’s largest collection of Peter Brock racing cars in Brock’s Garage. When the fun heats up, you can cool down at Dreamworld’s interconnecting water park WhiteWater World. For details and best value tickets visit http://www.dreamworld.com.au
*Tiger Cub Kindy is open while the world renowned Tiger Island is being redeveloped. Tiger Island will re-open in September 2016.
ABOUT DREAMWORLD WILDLIFE FOUNDATION (DWF)
Dreamworld plays an active role in the fostering and protection of the region’s wildlife through the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation (DWF). Established in 2012, DWF is an internationally recognised fund committed to the protection, education and conservation of the earth’s most magnificent creatures and habitats, crucial to their survival. DWF makes significant donations to fund anti-poaching patrols and conservation initiatives in Russia and Indonesia to help save tigers in the wild through its conservation partners 21st Century Tiger, Flora & Fauna International and the Phoenix Fund.
ABOUT THE LEGO GROUP
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, and main offices in Enfield, USA, London, UK, Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and based on the iconic LEGO® brick, it is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials.
Guided by the company spirit: “Only the best is good enough”, the company is committed to the development of children and aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through creative play and learning. LEGO products are sold worldwide and can be virtually explored at http://www.LEGO.com.
For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance, responsibility and engagement, please visit http://www.LEGO.com/aboutus.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, DUPLO, BIONICLE, LEGENDS OF CHIMA, the FRIENDS logo, the MINIFIGURES logo, DIMENSIONS, MINDSTORMS, MIXELS, NINJAGO, and NEXO KNIGHTS are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2016 the LEGO Group.