Editorial: Dear LEGO Australia, please let us buy your product

June 3, 2016 | 72

An Open Letter to LEGO Australia

Dear LEGO Australia

I write to you as a massive LEGO enthusiast, not as a LEGO blogger. We’re now in the second half of 2016 which means that all the new LEGO sets are available to be purchased and some of them look absolutely stunning. I’m particularly excited for the new Elves, Friends, DC and Marvel sets and maybe some of the City sets.

Every year, it’s the same old story. These sets go online on LEGO.com but they’re nowhere to be seen on Australian retail shelves. It’s June and retailers in the country have just gotten the new Creator, Juniors and Duplo. Speed Champions also just arrived but they’ve been out everywhere else in the world for months now so I don’t consider them new.

I’m quite traditional in a sense that I like going to my local toy store to browse through the LEGO aisle which often results in purchases. Don’t get me wrong, I like online shopping but there’s nothing like picking up a LEGO box in person, rattling it to hear that oh-so-very-satisfying sound of bricks and being amazed by the size of some boxes.

I also like buying at retail because I am not wealthy enough to spend a minimum of $200 on an order everytime I buy LEGO to qualify for free shipping online. I’m much more predisposed to make several sub $100 set purchases because it suits my lifestyle a lot better.

It’s unacceptable that Australians don’t get the opportunity to buy so many of the new LEGO sets at retail while the rest of the world get to enjoy the entire second half of the year offerings.

What gives?

I don’t know if you realise, but LEGO in 2016 is a global phenomenon. Australian LEGO fans are part of a global community and conversation but sadly we do not have much of a voice right now.

As our American, European and Asian fans all contribute their thoughts, photos and experiences of the new LEGO Star Wars, City and Marvel sets, us Aussies are stuck with only new Creator, Junior and Duplo as conversation topics. Trust me, we’re hardly the life of the party.

All the new sets in Myer

Sad state of shelves in Kmart

So when do we get the new sets? No one knows, well not at least till the new 2HY catalogue comes out and no one even knows when that will go online.

If we go by 2015’s release dates, we’re potentially looking at getting new City, Star Wars, Friends, Marvel, DC Comics, Elves in August.

AUGUST!!!

A full two months after everywhere else in the world gets their hands on these much anticipated new sets.

At least in 2015, we got the new Marvel and DC sets in June, which kinda helped tide me over till August.

Where are the new LEGO sets? Why are you making it so hard for us to buy them from you?

Allow me to put on my LEGO blogger hat for a bit. As someone who primarily writes reviews, I am looking at a potentially massive gap of new content till August. I’m as excited as everyone else about the new Super Heroes and Elves sets but you’re making me jump through so many hoops to buy these sets so I can review them.

Adding insult to injury, just because I buy some sets early, review and potentially recommend them, it’s not like my Australian readers can go out and buy them eh?

Do you want to know how many emails and Facebook messages I get from my readers asking when the new sets are coming in? Unfortunately, I have to reply with a canned “I don’t know” every time.

In fact, look at this Facebook message I just got from a reader. She (like me) cannot comprehend why the new sets are available for purchase online but are nowhere to be seen in stores.

This old fashioned and archaic way of doing business needs to stop. Your fans are clamouring to buy your products. They, like everyone else in the world are excited about new sets and play experiences that’s testament to your head company’s innovation, creativity and penchant for creating products that’s beloved the world over.

Sadly, LEGO Australia doesn’t seem to care about getting these products into the hands of Australians in a timely manner. I mean, if my home country of Malaysia can have all new sets on shelves on the first day of June, it shouldn’t be too much to expect the same in Australia right?

Australian LEGO fans deserve better and we deserve the equal opportunity to simultaneously join in the global LEGO conversation with our American, European and Asian counterparts.

Thank you for reading.

I don’t really know what we can really do to get this message across to LEGO Australia. I don’t even know if they will really care.

If you are as disappointed and upset as I am about this, I urge you to let LEGO know by either :

• leaving a comment here (hopefully this post comes to their attention)
• Send them a message through the LEGO.com Contact Us page
• Tweet them @LEGO_Group

I’m an optimist, so I believe that things may change if enough people make this a big deal. Right now, I’m just a little disappointed that I’ll have to wait to get my hands on all these exciting new sets.