LEGO Group eyes Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall store for its Australian expansion
One of the world’s great toy brands is rolling out new certified stores across Australia and has its eyes on a major Brisbane shopfront.
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One of the world’s best known toy manufacturers, beloved by both children and adults, has its eyes on the Brisbane CBD for a major store.
Industry sources say the Danish Lego Group is seeking to expand in Australia and has 250sqm requirement for a CBD store, potentially on the Queen Street Mall.
Lego currently has nine certified stores in Australia and New Zealand — including two in southeast Queensland — with ones in Canberra and Perth to open soon.
There are plans for another 20 or more to open around Australia.
According to the group’s 2020 annual financial report found worldwide its consumer sales growth 21 per cent compared to the previous year opened 134 new LEGO branded stores bringing the global total to 678.
Founded 89 years ago the company experienced a surge in popularity in Australia with the release of the 2014 LEGO movie and theme song “Everything is Awesome”.
The impact of Covid and the television show Lego Masters has only enhanced the interlocking brick’s popularity.
Lego is just one of a number of major global brands eyeing off Brisbane and more specifically the Queen Street Mall.
Sources say Swiss watchmaker Longines, South Korean electronics giant Samsung and French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products Sephora is also looking for major sites
Belle Property Retail director Michael Hanscomb said while there remains vacant shops there are continued signs of recovery in the heart of the Brisbane CBD with a wave of new flagship stores as the retail sector races to the 2032 Olympics.
Telstra recently opened their 285sq m flagship Queensland store on Brisbane’s best retail corner at 136 Queen Street Mall with an eight-year lease.
Mr Hanscomb said in the wake of the pandemic Brisbane has the best performing major city CBD.
“With Melbourne and Sydney dramatically affected by Covid-19, Brisbane and Queensland are now the centre of attention of retailers looking to expand their retail businesses,” he said.
“Brisbane is being seen as a real international city because of Olympics and all the development that is happening is drawing the attention of the world’s best international retailers.
”Brisbane has become a world city and everyone now knows where Brisbane is.”
In other recent deal Sunglass Hut relocated to the ex-Colette site at Brisbane Arcade at 160 Queen Street Mall to a store double the size of their previous flagship where Telstra now occupies.
Also, late last year NAB secured a flagship site at the ex-Sportsgirl site at Queen Adelaide Building, in a deal struck by Mr Hanscomb and Lachlan Persley when he was with Belle.
This year fashion brand Balenciaga has opened its Queensland flagship store at QueensPlaza following on from Gucci and Burberry while French fashion house Christian Louboutin has opened a store on the ground floor of Tattersalls.
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