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Lego opens first New Zealand store

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Toymaker Lego has officially arrived in New Zealand, opening its first-ever retail store in the southern hemisphere nation.

SEE ALSO : Lego opens first Australia flagship store in Sydney

Copenhagen, Denmark-based Lego opted for Auckland to make its stand-alone store debut; the New Zealand flagship bowing inside Auckland’s Westfield Newmarket shopping mall on Level 3.

Lego, in conjunction with local distributor Alceon Group, inaugurated the store on 31st October. Alceon Group is the largest shareholder in Australian retailers Noni B and SurfStitch. It has been given the rights to run Lego-certified shops in both Australia and New Zealand.

Prior to New Zealand, Alceon successfully opened Lego’s first-ever Australian store in Sydney.

“We look forward to unveiling New Zealand’s first Lego Certified Store and welcoming brick fans of all ages from across the country to this custom-built Lego experience,” said Richard Facioni, Alceon Group’s executive director.

Inside, customers will find the latest Lego products, as well as several Lego 3D brick models inspired by New Zealand icons including an Auckland Skyline Mosaic comprised of 318,208 bricks and 580 hours in labour to build.

Likewise, the Auckland store hosts the Bungee Mosaic featuring 39,733 bricks, and Lego’s first-ever Bungee 3D Model, which took 327 hours to build and stars 40,177 bricks, according to local media reports.

Other activities within the Aucklad store include a Pick-A-Brick Wall, Build Your Own Mini-figure stations and Lego play tables.

The new Lego store is one of many international and local retailers planning to open at the newly debuted Westfield Newmarket, owned and operated by Australia’s Scentre Group, and costing some NZ$790 million to develop.

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Measuring 88,150 square metres, Westfield Newmarket is New Zealand biggest shopping centre. In the coming months, it will see some 230 new shops open across its many levels.