COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish toy maker Lego says revenue soared 11 percent in the first six months of 2014, mostly because of the success of the "Lego Movie."The privately owned company's chief financial officer said Thursday they were thrilled by the success.John Goodwin said: "Lego Movie products provided a significant boost to our sales during the first half of 2014." He said that support could continue in the second half of the year, when Lego Movie will be launched on DVD. Hot toys through the ages (VIDEO) Net profit in the period was up 14 percent compared with the first half of 2013, at 2.7 billion kroner ($480 million), on sales of 11.5 billion kroner.A significant contributor to sales growth in the first half of 2014 was The LEGO Movie product line which launched in conjunction with the release of The LEGO Movie feature film in early 2014.A portion of Lego's statement on the financial results is below “We are thrilled by the reception of The LEGO Movie products that provided a significant boost to our sales during the first half of 2014,” says Executive Vice President and CFO John Goodwin, adding:“The LEGO Movie celebrated the creative potential in us all, which is also the foundation of any LEGO product we develop.
Every LEGO set must offer a versatile play experience that fosters creative building, and this is what we continually strive to deliver to children all over the world.”Strong growth in all regionsIn the first half of 2014 the LEGO Group experienced broad-based sales momentum in the regions where it operates. “Consumer sales growth in Europe, the Americas, and Asia was in the double digits, which is very satisfactory in the light of the global toy market which experienced a slow start in 2014,” says John Goodwin, adding: “It is too early to say if the strong performance will be reflected in the full year results as the majority of LEGO sales to consumers happen in the second half of the calendar year in a short time span of a few weeks leading up to the holiday season. The strong performance of The LEGO Movie products had a positive effect during the first half of 2014, and it remains to be seen how the line will continue to develop behind the highly anticipated launch of The LEGO Movie on DVD in the second half of 2014.”
Global presence a successful strategy In the Asian region, growth in LEGO sales varied from market to market. China saw the most significant growth in consumer sales in the region by more than 50%. This supports the LEGO Group’s ambitions to further globalize the company and make Asia a significant contributor to future growth. During April 2014 two significant celebrations marked this intent; the official ground breaking of the first LEGO factory in China, located in Jiaxing; and the inauguration of a new office in Shanghai, which is one of five main offices globally for the LEGO Group.“There is a huge potential in Asia, and we are still learning and in the process of building our capabilities in the region. The factory and the office represent a significant expansion of our physical presence in the region. Alongside our other main office in Singapore, the Shanghai office and the new factory enable strategically important functions to be located close to our customers as well as children and parents in China and Asia,” says Bali Padda, executive vice president and COO.
The decision to place a LEGO Factory in China is a direct consequence of the LEGO Group’s ambition to have production placed close to core markets. “This enables us to deliver LEGO products to retailers and ultimately to children all over the world very fast, offering a world class service to our customers and consumers. This has proven to be a successful strategy for us, and by further globalizing the LEGO Group, we hope to reach even more children around the world with a creative play experience,” says Bali Padda. In the first half of 2014 other significant milestones on the LEGO Group’s journey towards that ambition were achieved. In Europe, expansions of the LEGO factory in the Czech Republic continued, while a brand new factory was inaugurated in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary in March. Alongside the LEGO factory in Denmark, these mainly supply LEGO products to children in the European markets. In Mexico, expansion of the LEGO factory in Monterrey was completed and inaugurated in June.
The Mexican factory mainly supplies the American markets, and the expansion is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs.“We have been investing and we will continue to invest significant resources in further globalizing the company, which is a precondition for our future ability to not only create great LEGO experiences for children all over the world, but also our ability to build a culturally diverse organization where we can attract and develop global talent. Ultimately this is what will ensure the future success of the LEGO Group,” says Jørgen Vig Knudstorp. Lego, which is not publicly listed, releases only half-year figures.Licenses to “,” “The Simpsons,” DC and Marvel’s superheroes, and its own films like “The Movie” have helped make Lego the world’s largest toy company when it comes to revenue and profits, beating Mattel and Hasbro. At least that’s for the first six months of the year. Lego attributed much of this year’s success so far to “,” which helped boost sales by 11% during the first six months of the year, the company said.
“The Lego Movie,” which was produced for $60 million, went on to earn more than $468 million worldwide, and was backed by 17 playsets, minifigures, a videogame, theme park attraction, and slew of branded merchandise. The film is also available on homevideo platforms. SEE ALSO: Will Summer Releases Get Blocked By ‘The Lego Movie’? “We are thrilled by the reception of ‘The Lego Movie’ products,” said Lego Group chief financial officer John Goodwin, with company sales up double digits in Europe, the Americas and Asia. In fact, sales rose more than 50% in China during the six-month period. The Danish brick maker generated $2.03 billion in the first six months of the year — eking out Mattel, which earned $2 billion in sales — while profits rose 14% to $273 million. While a deal with Lucasfilm to produce “Star Wars” toys 15 years ago began Lego’s relationship with Hollywood, the company has especially been aggressive lately in locking down licensing deals for more studio films and franchises as a way to keep kids interested in its playsets and minifgures.
SEE ALSO: 10 Ways Warners Built ‘The Lego Movie’ Into a Block-Buster This year that includes toys based on “Star Wars,” “The Simpsons,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Hobbit,” DC’s Batman, Superman and the rest of the Justice League, and Marvel’s Avengers and Spider-Man. A replica of “The Simpsons” house sells for $200. In the past, Lego also had tie-ins with “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Harry Potter,” “Indiana Jones,” “The Lone Ranger,” “Prince of Persia,” “Toy Story” and “Jurassic Park.” Looking ahead, “it remains to be seen how the [The Lego Movie] line will continue to develop,” said Lego chief Jørgen Vig Knudstorp. Lego hopes to replicate that success in 2017 when Warner Bros. releases “The Lego Movie 2.” The studio also plans to release a movie based on Lego’s Ninjago toy line, revolving around ninjas. The company also should see a sales bump in the second half of the year, with Disney and Lucasfilm introducing a new “Star Wars” animated series — ahead of next year’s “Star Wars: Episode VII — and Warner Bros. launching the final installment of “The Hobbit” trilogy.