Have you heard? The Great Yellow Brick Co has opened the first LEGO Certified Store in Sandton City, South Africa! The doors to the brightly coloured shop in Sandton City are now open for longstanding fans, passionate collectors and consumers who are yet to discover the joy and delight of the versatile bricks.
In case you’re wondering what all the hype is about, as there are already LEGO products available at independent retailers in South Africa, this marks first LEGO Certified Store in the country by The Great Yellow Brick Co.
A variety of LEGO options, exciting installations, exclusive and extended sets, and experiences not yet seen in South Africa, will be stocked and on display at the LEGO Certified Store in Sandton City, including the following signature features;
- Pick A Brick Wall – a custom-built fixture with round canisters, each filled with an assortment of LEGO bricks and elements that consumers can purchase in set priced cups or by weight
- Build a Minifigure Station – guests to the store can customise up to three minifigures from a large variety of parts and accessories.
- A mosaic of the Big 5 and a 3D model of the Johannesburg skyline designed and built out of LEGO bricks exclusively for the Sandton store
For both children and adults, the special build areas will inspire fans to unleash their imaginations. There are augmented reality screens to help shoppers visualise the contents of box sets, in 3D, before they purchase! How rad is that?
If you’re concerned about South Africa getting certain products much later than it’s been launched in the rest of the world, don’t be…! You don’t have to wait for months to buy them nor stress about postage fees if you buy them online. Robert Greenstein, co-founder of The Great Yellow Brick Co’s Sandton City Shop has indicated that the shop will offer limited and special edition LEGO sets at the same time they are launched internationally! If you’re a LEGO fan, you’re probably smiling delightfully about this!
“For example, we’re opening with the new Bugatti Chiron set, a magnificent working roller coaster, the Disney Castle, the Star Wars Y-Wing and the Hulk Buster, and collectors that have been hunting for the Star Wars Millennium Falcon need look no further…”
If you’re outside of Sandton, don’t despair, I’ve got some great news for you…!
The Great Yellow Brick Co has also extended its offering online giving consumers access to the most extensive LEGO range available in the region, offering all the convenience of online shopping as well as a click and collect service should customers prefer.
The store’s Brick Rewards loyalty programme will see customers earn points back based on their spend, with points translating into monetary savings on future purchases, while exclusive gifts with purchase not available anywhere else will also be available from time to time.
Here are some benefits of playing and building with LEGO bricks:
- Promotes the development of fine motor skills
This is a great way for children to exercise and develop their little fingers. With them picking up and building the blocks, their fine motor skills are being developed
- A sense of achievement
When a child completes a creation, they are so excited and want to show it to everyone. This also builds their self-confidence
- Imaginative Play
LEGO creations have become a storytelling playfield, from heroes to villains, to friends and family. A child can use what they have built and use their imaginations to make stories around it
- Persistence
Building with LEGO blocks teaches a child patience and persistence. If it falls, pick it up again and retry. If it was too high, what next? What will you do differently? There’s some math lessons as well as problem-solving taking place, with persistence. This also helps in the development of lateral and planning skills
- Encourages teamwork
When children are playing together, the activities associated with building LEGO creations together, improve their social skills and encourages teamwork. What will WE be building today? Who takes the lead? Who follows? What roles will we each play?
- Inspires creativity
There’s no right or wrong. The possibilities are limitless. The use of the various colours, shapes and sizes allow a child to think beyond the picture on the box. This inspires cooperative play as well.
The 179m2 Sandton City store is close to Sandton City’s Fun District, a level dedicated to family entertainment, and it significantly enhances the center’s offering for children.
What are your plans for this weekend? Why not head over to the store and add to your collection or start a new journey with LEGO…go and have a look, it’s not just for children, it’s not just for collectors either, it’s therapeutic!
If you’ve been trying to keep yourself busy and trying to find a hobby, this is something worth considering, especially if you enjoy puzzles and problem-solving. It is no surprise that many Engineers loved and played with LEGO as they grew up and some still do!
If you need a little more motivation, have a look at some of these creations from Legolands around the world…
I hope that kids are happy and excited to have such a fabulous store in their city! The first Lego certified store is a sign which symbolizes the necessity of similar establishments!