Lego-DACH boss: “Toys distract in the pandemic”

Lego DACH boss
“Toys are distracting in the pandemic”

Lego is the largest toy manufacturer in the world – and continues to grow strongly. But the Danish company faces a challenge: sustainability. How Lego is tinkering with the stone of the future and what is planned for the children’s room explains. Manager Karen Pascha-Gladyshev.

Toy manufacturers have been among the winners since the pandemic broke out, and their businesses are growing as many people stay at home and play. Lego felt that too, the Danish manufacturer is growing even faster than the market. “People also distract themselves from the pandemic through physical play,” said Karen Pascha-Gladyshev, DACH boss of Lego, in the podcast “Die Stunden Null”.

Meanwhile, Lego is also struggling with its supply chains and had to close a factory last year. But the Danish company now produces more regionally. “We have a well-functioning supply chain with decentralized production sites that are close to the consumer,” said Pascha-Gladyshev, who has been responsible for Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 2019. “For the German market, the overwhelming majority of our goods come from Denmark, Hungary and the Czech Republic.” The containers would not be “sent around the world”.

Lego had achieved a record result in the first half of the year, sales increased by 43 percent to 23 billion crowns (3.1 billion euros) compared to the same period of the previous year. The profit rose to 6.3 billion crowns – an increase of 140 percent. Licenses like those from Ninjago are doing particularly well on the German market. “Ninjago is popular in Germany, but technology has historically always been one of the most popular lines,” said Pascha-Gladyshev.

Sustainability is a major challenge for LEGO. This year a first prototype was developed from recycled PET bottles. “A real stage win,” said Pascha-Gladyshev. But it will be a while before the stone conquers children’s rooms in large numbers. “It’s about durability, quality and safety.” All packaging should also be made of paper by 2025. However, the company is already climate-neutral thanks to CO2 offsetting.

Listen in the new episode of “The Zero Hour”:

  • How Lego also wants to score with digital products
  • Which row dominates the nursery of Pasha Gladyshev’s son
  • What action Lego is planning for children for Christmas

You can find all episodes directly at Audio Now, Apple or Spotify or via Google.

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