The new store in Shanghai will be the world’s biggest to date for the beloved toy company.
Part of the appeal of LEGO bricks is that, despite having been around 1932, they’ve still never gone out of style. Children today enjoy playing with the classic toy just as much as their parents did before them, and possibly their grandparents before that. Perhaps that’s why the announcement of any new LEGO store is met with just as much excitement from adults as it is from kids.
So, residents both young and old of Shanghai, China’s most populous city, are surely ecstatic to hear that the Danish toy giant will open the world’s largest LEGO retail store on June 16th, which also marks the opening day of the eagerly awaited Shanghai Disneyland Park. This 1,000 square-meter, “first flagship LEGO store in all of Asia” will be located in Disneytown, a new shopping, eating, and entertainment district found just outside of the main park. It will feature both indoor and outdoor play areas as well as giant LEGO models. Here’s to hoping they’ll pay homage to Shanghai with some famous local landmarks, such as the Oriental Pearl Tower!
▼ An artist’s rendering of Disneytown, where the flagship store will be located
LEGO CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp is confident in his plans to expand the toy giant within China, as the country is one of the fastest growing markets for LEGO, having reported a 34% growth rate in 2015. Residents of Shanghai are especially lucky because the news of this new flagship store is bolstered by growing excitement for the 3,000 square-meter LEGOLand Discovery Center, which is set to open elsewhere in the city on April 2.
Sources: China Daily, The Nanfang via Shanghaiist
Top image: LEGO (Stores)
Insert image: Shanghai Disney Resort
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