LEGO is attempting a new form of retail experience which they are calling LEGO Pop-Up Workshops. These retail outlets will be open throughout the holiday season. LEGO is hoping to fill a small part of the void left by the departure of Toys R Us from the American retail market. One of these such stores opened on October 12th. Read more below:
Several I LUG NY members visited a LEGO Pop Up Workshop yesterday. We had to tear down a LUG display 15 minutes away and we decided to check out the LEGO Pop-Up Workshop in Lake Grove, New York. This store is located inside the Smith Haven Mall, where a LEGO Store was located up until about 12-14 years ago.
The store itself is stocked full of LEGO’s current set offerings. Sets are arranged by age group at this particular store, though other LEGO Pop-Up Workshops will have products separated by price range. The set prices ranged from less than $5 (key chains for example) to over $300 (the brand new Star Wars Cloud City set) so there is something available for every budget.
On display at this store are two life sized, brick built statues. One of these statues is Captain Rex and the other is of a firefighter statue.
Also on display are some sets that are inside a plastic case, atop a cardboard stand or sitting on product shelves. This store also has an oversized, cardboard, red 2 x 4 brick that looks as if it crashed down into the Workshop.
There are two play brick areas in the center of the Workshop to keep young LEGO fans happy.
What’s missing from this and other LEGO Pop-Up Workshops are two of the main attractions that full LEGO Stores are known for. There are no Pick a Brick Wall or Build a Minifigure Bars in the Workshops. This was something we knew prior to shopping here but it doesn’t mean that these features weren’t missed by us AFOLs.
There is precedent for having a LEGO Store in this mall. LEGO fans that live in the area will appreciate having a LEGO Pop-Up Workshop nearby. If this store does well, who knows, maybe LEGO explores the possibility of opening a full scale LEGO Store here in the near future? Until then, I am happy to have a LEGO Pop-Up Workshop not too far from home that I can shop at.
To read more about LEGO Pop-Up Workshops and where they are located, click below:
https://lan.lego.com/news/overview/1st-pop-up-lego-brand-store-is-open-now-r158/