LEGO - Worth the wait!

Our son was the one who asked if we could stock "Club Penguin Cards" and "Gogo's Crazy Bones" when we opened in 2010.  As parents who were fed up travelling to Stirling or Bridge of Allan everytime the kids wanted to spend their pocket money, we thought "Why not!". 

At that time we also requested an account with LEGO, thinking that mini-figures would be great for the shop.  They politely added us to their waiting list, explaining that it would take some time before someone contacted us.  Being new to the industry we didn't appreciate just quite how long the list was and the wait would be.  

By Christmas 2010 our toys & collectables ranges had really taken off, and whilst we still didn't have a LEGO account, we were determined to have a representative of their range in store.  As a result we found the LEGO electrical range we now stock as well as some alternative buildable character ranges.  

LEGO Keylight - £5.49

We visited Toy Fair London in January and were wowed on the LEGO stand.  Their range of toys & games show exactly why they have been named as "Toy of the Century" not once, but twice.  So, you can imagine our delight when they got in touch with us in May to begin discussions about a potential account.  We explained our business, and how parents & children in Dunblane were loving the branded toys we had to offer.  Unfortunately though they decided that for a variety of reasons the timing wasn't right to open an account for us.  

We were devastated.  In a last ditch attempt that would either see them run a mile from us, or agree to open the account, we sent them an impassioned e-mail.  In it we explained how loyal the community was to local independent retailers, how we believed that LEGO was a great brand not freely available in the area and how children continued to ask for it from their "favourite local shop".  In the next few weeks we forgot about it, and moved on to look at other brands when, out of the blue, we received a phone call from a Senior Director.  They told us that they loved our response and would be delighted to have us stocking their range. 

LEGO Games Harry Potter Hogwarts - £24.99

So here we are, a few weeks down the line and anticipating the imminent arrival of our first order.  We're aiming to have a good representation of their range, focusing on toys and games under £30 initially and including play themes such as Duplo, LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Games, LEGO City to name a few.  We've also taken a leap of faith as to how popular it will be and pre-ordered amongst other things, some LEGO Advent Calendars (difficult to believe that we are planning Christmas orders).  

LEGO City Advent Calendar - £17.99

We are certain that people are going to love being able to get the LEGO range at The Hub, and are in the process of adding the new products to our website to allow people the chance to order online, or collect in store.  We also hope to have some exciting news in the next few weeks about a big promotion to be held soon.  So watch this space...it will be worth the wait!