LEGO(R) Imagination Center is Honored With Playthings 2002 Merchandising Achievement Award

CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 20 -- LEGO® Imagination Center located in Downtown Disney® at the Disneyland Resort® in Anaheim, California, has been honored with a "Playthings Merchandising Achievement Award," one of the oldest and most prestigious tributes in the toy retailing industry.

The LEGO Imagination Center specialty toy store was recognized with the "Award of Merit for Store Design" at an exclusive reception in New York City on Feb. 11 during International Toy Fair.

"2001 was an especially difficult year for retailers; one that was marked with consumer uncertainty, a soft economy and the closure of hundreds of doors -- many of which were toy stores," noted Maria Weiskott, editor in chief of Playthings magazine. "It is truly a credit to the dedicated employees and management of LEGO Imagination Center to have achieved such a noteworthy accomplishment in such an environment," she added.

The award recognizes the store's success in layout and store design. A true departure from your standard toy store, the LEGO Company has created a dynamic, unique retail experience, which showcases its award-winning products in a fun and interactive environment. The 4,500 square foot store brings shoppers into an exciting world of creativity and imagination with interactive LEGO building tables and large-scale LEGO models that include a twenty three foot giraffe, a replica of the Empire State Building and an animated T-rex among many others.

A key design objective for the store was to incorporate the angular LEGO world into a round space. The first step toward this objective was designing a functional and flexible fixturing system that is unique to the LEGO Company. "By designing this unique fixturing system, we were able to create a connecting network of LEGO "worlds," each featuring LEGO toys, clothes and other products supporting the company's toy assortment," said Jeff Fisher, Director of Visual Design.

"The LEGO Brand Retail team is very excited to by honored with this award," Fisher said. "Our design team wanted to create a store that truly expressed the LEGO brand values of creativity, imagination and discovery and I think we've accomplished that. This is truly a store to see and experience for kids of all ages."

LEGO Brand Retail, Inc., is the business division of the LEGO Company that oversees development and operation of the LEGO retail stores. There are currently eight LEGO retail stores located in the United States and Europe. For locations see www.LEGO.com/legostores. In addition, there are retail outlets in all three of the existing LEGOLAND parks in Billund, Windsor and California, and a fourth park is under construction in Germany is scheduled to open in 2002.

The family-owned LEGO Company was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932. By the year 2005, the company wants the LEGO brand to be the strongest in the world among families with children.

This is the 32nd year Playthings magazine is honoring toy retailers with awards for merchandising achievement. The industry standard for the retail toy business, and enjoying the largest share of readers in its market, Playthings will celebrate its centennial anniversary next year, having published monthly continuously since 1903. In addition to a magazine, the Playthings brand operates a news Web site, playthings.com; publishes a weekly e-newsletter, Playthings Extra as well as an annual Playthings Buyer's Directory, a comprehensive listing of who's who in the toy business.

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