New Lego store with AI opens in Philippines; list of collectibles

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be sending its own robotics team to an international Lego robotics Olympiad in Denmark this year, His Excellency Franz-Michael Mellbin, Denmark’s Ambassador to the Philippines, announced at the recent opening of Lego Certified Store in Shangri-La Plaza, Pasig City.

“Lego, of course, is about growing. You can start very young,” Mellbin said in a speech prior to the ribbon cutting to formally open the Danish brand’s new Philippine store.

“I hope you play well no matter what age you are in.”

Justin Bautista, Sales and Marketing Head of Lego Certified Stores for Lego’s Philippine distributor Ban Kee Trading Inc., said that the “shiny” and “glitzy” store sports the brand’s new modern and futuristic look and feel not found in the brand’s other stores in the country.

Among those features is The Digibox, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered monitor that instantly displays and animates any toy set a customer scans.

Also exemplifying the store’s “Retailtainment" concept of offering interactive play are curated stalls that aim to encourage customers to explore and interact. The curated stalls are areas with opened Lego sets that visitors can experiment with. For this season, Ninjago sets are available for a firsthand feel, while a TV shows details about the presented items and products in the stall.

Also among the store’s special features is the Disruptor Bay, where an oversized moveable magnifying glass enables customers to observe the meticulous details of hand-built sets.

Finally, the Build a Mini-Figure or BAM area is where one can customize Lego mini-figures, which they can even assemble to resemble themselves or their loved ones, matching their hair color, facial features and clothes as close as possible to real life. This way, Lego fans can bring home a piece that is truly close to their hearts (and looks!).

Store interiors at opening day