LEGO Certified Store Program - LCS

[Black Six]

Kim from the LEGO Community Team recently shared this with the Ambassadors. I thought some people here might be interested in learning a bit more about how LEGO works:

Why LCS - LEGO® Certified Stores?

The LEGO Group discovered more than 300+ stores throughout the world using the LEGO logo, with each having their own idea of “what good looks like”. 

The LEGO Group refers to these stores as MONOBRAND stores  - stores which sell only LEGO products with an often un-licensed logo above the entrance.  These stores offer no consistency in size, look and feel or customer service and are not part of the LEGO Group or operated by LEGO.

To address this challenge – and to protect the LEGO brand – The LEGO Group started to offer a LEGO Certified Store Program to customers who would like to operate a number of LEGO Certified Stores in a defined region.

 

What is LCS?

The global LCS Program offers our partners and The LEGO Group a great opportunity to:

•Deliver high quality retail experiences for consumers and shoppers

•Heighten brand awareness

•Increase distribution points

This program allows The LEGO Group to:

•Protect the LEGO brand

•Deliver a uniform “look and feel” in the stores

•Ensure high levels of customer service

Create a structured and scalable approach to expand in markets where The LEGO Group has chosen not to place company-owned brand retail stores.

 

How does LCS operate with a partner?

The LEGO Group offers it’s Certified Store Partners a “value proposition” to operate LCS stores within a defined territory.  The benefits to the partner include:

• Officially licensed to use the LEGO brand name and have LEGO logo at the store front
• Regional exclusivity to potentially grow the retail network expansion
• The partner will be a ‘preferred’ customer within the LEGO framework (for example, will be given exclusive product rights)
• The stores will be designed by The LEGO Group to ensure design consistency and compliance
• The partner stores will participate in training programs developed by The LEGO Group

 

Do LCS operate the VIP loyalty program?

We are currently in the process of launching the first loyalty program with an LCS partner.  The partner program will:

• Contain the same basic mechanics as the LEGO VIP Program
• Shoppers will be able to collect and redeem points only at partner operated stores detailed on the loyalty card (for example, at stores throughout Italy if the shopper registers to join the Italian partner loyalty scheme)
• The partner loyalty card is only for use at store locations – not online since the partner doesn’t operate an online business.  (Shop.LEGO.com is operated by The LEGO Group) 

 

 

Where LCS stores currently operate

Europe: Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, ROmania, Russia & Slovenia

Middle East: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE - Abu Dhabi & UAE - Dubai

Asia/Pacific: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore & South Korea

[Ta-metru_defender]

I've actually been to an off-brand Lego store in Singapore which had undergone a huge makeover when I last visited (this past summer, as opposed to 2013 and 2012). A quick check reveals that, yeah, it did become an LCS. Interesting initiative; I can understand Lego's commitment to consistent branding, but at the same time is it a bit of overreach?

[danny316p]

I've actually been to an off-brand Lego store in Singapore which had undergone a huge makeover when I last visited (this past summer, as opposed to 2013 and 2012). A quick check reveals that, yeah, it did become an LCS. Interesting initiative; I can understand Lego's commitment to consistent branding, but at the same time is it a bit of overreach?

I feel like it's a healthy approach to handling the monobrand store phenomenon.

 

Overreach would be requiring them to sell to LEGO Brand Retail, or suing the stores to oblivion.

 

An interesting side topic would be the role of LEGO's independent toy store distribution arm in the US. A few AFOLs have launched stores of their own and wanted to carry LEGO products, but LEGO has turned them down. Company policy says that an AFOL-owned store that primarily sells LEGO shouldn't be allowed to get stock directly from LEGO, because that would compete with LEGO Brand Retail (yes, they actually say this, even in areas that are hours away from the nearest LEGO store).