Lego Group reveals plan to open new London flagship store

The 5,420 sq ft store, its 37^th shop in Europe, will be at the Swiss Court redevelopment on Leicester Square. It is due to open “late” this year.

A spokeswoman declined to disclose the predicted total spend on building the store.    

Lego has 13 UK stores, including two in London – at Westfield Stratford and Westfield Shepherd’s Bush. 

The new London store lays bare the group’s retail ambitions after it recently opened stores in Paris and a flagship for Asia in Shanghai.

“The introduction of retail outlets in key locations worldwide forms part of our growth strategy to inspire the Lego builders of tomorrow,” said Ward Van Duffel, the Lego Group’s direct to consumer EMEA vice-president.

He added: “We are confident that the Lego Store, Leicester Square, will realise this and provide residents of and visitors to central London with a must-see destination in a unique environment.”

Staff are being recruited now for the London store, which is expected to have around 45 permanent employees.

To mark the launch, the group has developed a scale copy of Big Ben and the Parliament buildings.

Last September, Middle-Eastern-based toy retailer The Toy Store opened its first UK store at a 27,000 sq ft site on Oxford Street.