We have heard a few things about the new LEGO® Certified Store Opening in the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre over the last few months. And the day is almost here, with the store set to open at 10am Saturday 7th May 2022. I was fortunate to be able to attend a preview of the new store.
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Great news for Victorian based LEGO fans, young and old alike. A few weeks ago we revealed plans for a new LEGO Certified Store to open near Melbourne’s Central Business District- information obtained by scouring LEGO related job ads. Today we can confirm that the store will be located jn the Melbourne Central shopping centre, and is due to open in April. The centre is located centrally, and has easy public transport access.
The store will also feature the LEGO MOSAIC MAKER- the first in the Southern Hemisphere. At this time the store is expected to be the Largest Certified Store in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Thanks to an Sue Ann Barber for the heads up: there is a job ad online for a Store Manager, at a NEW LEGO® Certified store, in ‘the CBD or Inner Suburbs’
Continue reading“A new LEGO® Certified Store in the inner suburbs of Melbourne is in the advanced stages of planning and expressions of interest are being sought for the position of Store Manager. The Store will feature life-sized LEGO® models, a Pick-a-Brick wall, hard to find product releases and amazing bricks in hands engagement opportunities. Designed in partnership with LEGO® Australia to a new format, this store will be an integral part of our LEGO® Certified Store network.
The store manager is responsible for leading and driving an engaging, customer driven culture within their team. You will be self-motivated and driven by success in a retail environment. You will understand and be inspired by the importance of engagement and role play has in a child’s development. “
Alquemie Group and The LEGO Group today announced that Western Australia’s first LEGO® Certified Store will open in late 2021.
The landmark new store will be situated in prime position at Karrinyup Shopping Centre as a signature LEGO brand immersive retail experience.
Richard Facioni, Executive Chairman, Alquemie Group said the new store would capitalise on the enduring appeal of the renowned LEGO brand and bring a world-class retail concept to WA.
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In which I attend a preview event at Melbourne’s new LEGO Certified Store in Doncaster and have a talk with the Alceon Excutive Director about plans for rolling out future stores, in Victoria and interstate.
On Thursday, October 3rd, we saw the opening of Melbourne’s FIRST LEGO Certified store at Westfield Doncaster. I was fortunate to attend a preview event the night before, attended by media, AFOLs and many more. But Wait! Did I say first? More on that later.
As I approached the new store, located on the upper level, opposite the Nespresso Boutique, and in close proximity to the Apple Store, I came across a brick built fireman…promising something special coming Very Soon. Hoarding was still up, outside the shop, and on arriving inside we were greeted by the features that would be familiar to anyone who has visited a LEGO Brand Retail store anywhere in the world: Bright yellow livery, pictures of giant minifigures around the walls, shelves stacked with practially every set that is available, a giant mural and some strategically placed interactive experiences.
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Alceon, owner of the Flagship certified store at Bondi Junction has today announced the opening of a second Sydney store, as well as New Zealand’s first LEGO Certified Store in Auckland, in the next few months. The new Sydney store will be in the Broadway Shopping Centre, Glebe. Continue reading
My life has been a little preoccupied with preparing to exhibit at the Sydney Brick Show this weekend. I have been getting ready to post my review of Series 2 of the Disney Minifigures. But here is a sneak peek…
I thought, like other series that it would be a quick snapshot and go. Then I noticed something really interesting, that I had never seen with Collectable Minifigures in the past (Please note: “really interesting to me” may have limited widespread appeal. But it has significant implications going forward). This means I need to have a second look before I publish my findings.
Anyway… Sydney.
After arriving at Sydney Airport, I caught the train to central, and changed for the eastern suburbs line. Bondi Junction was the last stop. It took about 40 minutes from landing at Sydney airport, to get to this stop. After finding the Oxford St exit, it was a short walk (10 minutes) to the Westfield shopping centre, and the Certified LEGO Shop within.
Yesterday, pictures started to surface of a vinyl wrapped store featuring lots of LEGO livery, at the Westfield Centre in Bondi Junction.
Today, we can confirm that we will see a LEGO® Certified Store open on that site in late March – probably in time to coincide with the (delayed, compared to the rest of the world) Australian opening of The LEGO Movie 2.
While the Sydney’s first LEGO Centre at Birkenhead Point has long closed, the new shop – a Certified Store rather than LEGO Brand Retail – will operate over two floors, with a total floor space of 302sqm.
Continue readingAustralia’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: Continue reading
