How to build a global toy company out of Lego? A digitally-savvy child would probably not add 160 bricks-and-mortar stores. The Danish manufacturer of tiny plastic bits is more imaginative. Retail expansion plans released this week accompanied first-half figures showing profits falling. The extra shops should snap neatly on to a robust growth model.
Family-owned Lego is withstanding industry tremors better than listed rivals. Play has gone digital. Sales are increasingly made online. Lego has used all the parts in the toy box. Electric parts interact with iPads. Blockbuster films inspire products. Products inspire blockbuster films. To protect the brand, the Lego family is taking control of Merlin Entertainments, which runs Legoland theme parks.