LEGO has continued to see massive gains during the COVID-19 pandemic, as kids and adults alike continue to build LEGO sets at home for entertainment long after the coronavirus lockdown ended.
On Tuesday, the privately-held Danish company announced that its annual sales jumped 27% in 2021, reaching $55.3 Danish krone (DKK), or about $8.06 billion U.S. dollars (USD), up from $43.7 DKK, or around $6.36 billion USD, in 2020.
LEGO credited the increase in sales to its more diverse product selection, and to its much-improved direct-to-consumer and e-commerce businesses.
“In 2021, we saw the benefits of strategic investments made over the past three years to innovate our portfolio, expand and evolve our retail experiences, and increase capacity within our global supply chain network,” said LEGO chief executive Niels Christiansen.
LEGO’s top-performing lines in 2021 included Lego City, Lego Technic, Lego Creator Expert, Lego Harry Potter, and Lego Star Wars. Ranging in size and difficulty, these exciting LEGO brands make it fun for children to learn building skills while providing a creative outlet for adults.
Aside from its big shift to selling directly to consumers online, LEGO also increased direct sales to consumers in 2021 by opening 165 new stores around the world, including more than 90 in China, taking its total to 832 by the end of last year.
LEGO, however, noted that it expects its growth to slow to less than 10% in 2022 as more schools and workplaces reopen. Despite this projected slower growth rate, LEGO is not stopping to further diversify its ever-expanding product selection. Check out what’s new from LEGO for its 90th year this 2022 in the video below.
Some of the coolest new sets and play themes featured in the video are now available at LEGO.com.