South Africa’s first LEGO® Certified Store now open in Sandton City
The Great Yellow Brick Co has opened the first LEGO® Certified Store in South Africa.
Doors to the brightly coloured shop in Sandton City are now open for longstanding fans, passionate collectors and consumers who are yet to discover the joy and delight of the versatile bricks.
While LEGO products are available at independent toy retailers elsewhere in South Africa, The Great Yellow Brick Co’s shop is the first LEGO Certified Store in the country and will stock and display a variety of LEGO options, exciting installations, exclusive and extended sets, and experiences not yet seen in South Africa.
The store will include these signature features:
- Pick A Brick Wall – a custom-built fixture with round canisters, each filled with an assortment of LEGO bricks and elements that consumers can purchase in set priced cups or by weight
- Build a Minifigure Station – guests to the store can customise up to three minifigures from a large variety of parts and accessories.
- A mosaic of the Big 5 and a 3D model of the Johannesburg skyline designed and built out of LEGO bricks exclusively for the Sandton store.
Special build areas will encourage fans to unleash their imaginations, while augmented reality screens will help shoppers visualise the contents of box sets, in 3D, before they purchase.
“The Great Yellow Brick Co‘s Sandton City shop will offer limited and special edition LEGO sets at the same time that they’re launched internationally, meaning that consumers no longer have to wait for months to buy them, or hunt them down online,”
says co-founder Robert Greenstein.
“For example, we’re opening with the new Bugatti Chiron set, a magnificent working roller coaster, the Disney Castle, the Star Wars Y-Wing and the Hulk Buster, and collectors that have been hunting for the Star Wars Millennium Falcon need look no further…”
The Great Yellow Brick Co has also extended its offering online giving consumers access to the most extensive LEGO range available in the region, offering all the convenience of online shopping as well as a click and collect service should customers prefer.
The store’s Brick Rewards loyalty programme will see customers earn points back based on their spend, with points translating into monetary savings on future purchases, while exclusive gifts with purchase not available anywhere else will also be available from time to time.
“LEGO bricks are so much more than just toys or collector’s items – playing and building with them promotes the development of fine motor skills, encourages team work, and improves creativity,”
Greenstein explains.
“Building sets or creating their own masterpieces teaches problem-solving skills to children, and improves their communication skills too,”
he adds.
“It also develops persistence, lateral thinking and planning skills, and placing that final brick into a creation boosts a child’s self-esteem – something that’s clearly evident in the broad smiles that are sure to happen at about the same time!”
The 179m2 Sandton City store is close to Sandton City’s Fun District, a level dedicated to family entertainment, and it significantly enhances the centre’s offering for children.
“South Africans have a decades-long love for LEGO sets and products, from children who follow instructions to build sets before they can read, to adults who will go to extraordinary lengths to complete their themed collections,”
says Kristian Imhof, Country Manager for The LEGO Group in South Africa.
“There are also many South Africans who have never been exposed to its possibilities, and we are looking forward to introducing them to the limitless ways they can play with, build and collect LEGO bricks and sets.”
About LEGO Certified Stores
LEGO Certified Stores are designed by The LEGO Group and are found in just 20 other countries. Each store adheres to store fit-out and experience guidelines stipulated by the Group to maintain its focus on playfulness and creative experiences, rather than on conventional retail principles. Created as experiential playgrounds for LEGO fans old and new, certified stores each offer unique features not seen in independent retailers.
Follow The Great Yellow Brick Co’s Facebook page for updates on store opening dates, gift with purchase specials and special edition releases.
About the Great Brick Yellow Brick Co
The Great Yellow Brick Co was founded in 2017 by partners Robert Greenstein, Hayley Greenstein and Greg Bergh with the belief that South Africans deserved the full LEGO Certified Store experience that could be found elsewhere around the world. The company has plans to roll out world class LEGO Certified Stores across the major cities of South Africa over the next 3 years. For more information about The Great Yellow Brick Company visit www.greatyellowbrick.co.za
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 www.LEGO.com. For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit http://www.LEGO.com/aboutus
