'Recreating the Great Wall and Hotpot with LEGO'... China to Add 80 Stores This Year

The global toy company LEGO Group is expanding its presence in the Chinese market. Following the opening of more than half of its new stores worldwide in China last year, the company is continuing its aggressive expansion of bases this year.

According to Chinese economic media Jingjirebao on the 11th, LEGO Group plans to open 80 new brand stores across China this year. Currently, there are about 380 LEGO stores in China, spread across more than 100 cities nationwide. Last year alone, the company introduced around 90 new stores in China, accounting for 58% of the 155 new stores opened worldwide last year. Notably, in July last year, LEGO opened its first official store in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, which was recognized as the "highest altitude LEGO store in the world."

Interior view of the LEGO store located in Wangfujing, Beijing, China. Models reflecting local cultural features such as pandas and dragons have been installed. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)

According to the report, Huang Guoqing, Senior Vice President and General Manager of LEGO Group, emphasized that "continuous investment in the Chinese market is the foundation of our success," adding that "we have never stopped product development and brand image promotion in China." In particular, LEGO Group has gained favor among Chinese consumers through a "localization" approach, expressing iconic sites and food cultures such as the Great Wall in Beijing and hot pot in Chengdu as LEGO assemblies.

The company stated, "Strong consumer demand, enhanced online and offline retail channels, e-commerce platforms, and flexible global supply chain management are the main drivers of growth." It also emphasized, "We will continue strategic investments in China and open more retail stores."

According to LEGO Group's 2022 annual financial report, the company's sales last year increased by 17% year-on-year to 64.6 billion Danish kroner (approximately 12.52 trillion KRW). Operating profit rose 5% to 17.9 billion Danish kroner, and net profit increased 4% to 13.8 billion Danish kroner during the same period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.