Lego Brings ‘Store of the Future’ to NYC, Barcelona

Danish toy maker Lego is teaming up with commerce and communications agency TracyLocke to roll out what it’s calling its “Store of the Future,” a global retail concept aimed at putting creativity and imagination in the forefront of the shopper experience.

In a Wednesday (Jan. 19) press release, TracyLocke said the global campaign has a local strategy that appeals to tourists but speaks directly to residents in New York City and Barcelona, locales of the first two such stores. A third location is slated to open in Chengdu, China, next month, and the firms said there will be additional locations.

“Our flagship store should always offer the most engaging and innovative experience for our visitors, inspiring creativity, building brand love and encouraging hands-on play,” Stephane Knapp, Sr., director of regional retail marketing at the Lego Group, said in the announcement.

Knapp said the TracyLocke team “fit right in with creative ideas” to bring the Lego brand to life with “authentic, unique experiences in each market.”

The new flagship store in New York City focuses on digital and social through the theme, “If you can build it here, you can build it anywhere.” The Barcelona store was inspired by architect Antoni Gaudí, and its launch incorporated an omnichannel marketing campaign with an experiential event.

Using Gaudí’s style, TracyLocke marked the Barcelona store opening with a 265-pound, nine-foot diameter Trencadis mosaic-style plate built with more than 250,000 Lego bricks. Guests picked up the loose bricks and took them inside to complete their own mosaic tile creations.

“The Barcelona store concept cultivated from a connection between LEGO brand values and the cultural heritage of the city,” TracyLocke President Tina Manikas said in the announcement. “Our joint focus on creativity and the future of retail makes for a strong continued partnership.”

Related: Lego Building $1B Factory to Meet Asian Demand

Last month, Lego announced it is building a $1 billion factory in Vietnam as demand across Asia continues to grow. It will be the company’s sixth factory and is expected to be ready in 2024.