Lego eyes expanding stores to 100 Chinese cities

Leading toymaker Lego Group is eyeing an expansion of its branded retail stores to 100 Chinese cities by next year, as the vast market potential and strengthened intellectual property rights protection boost its confidence.

The Danish company debuted several new sets of brick toys highlighting Chinese traditions during the fourth China International Import Expo, an avenue to "bring the brand closer to customers and government officials", said Paul Huang, general manager of Lego China.

"We've made quite remarkable achievements in the past few years, such as winning key lawsuits on intellectual property rights," Huang said. "This shows the enormous efforts of the Chinese government in optimizing the business environment, which injects huge confidence into our long-term investment and commitment in the Chinese market."

Championing Chinese elements like the Spring Festival and cartoon figure Monkie Kid, one new set launched during the expo also features winter sports, echoing the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Huang said both IP-based and scenario-inspired themes enjoy ample room for growth in China. Experiencing a robust double-digit growth, the company is fast penetrating markets in third- and fourth-tier cities, with the number of cities with physical Lego shops reaching 80 by the end of this year.