Open since August 2020, in the center of Chartres, the La Grotte de Bricks boutique offers its loyal customers a wide choice of Lego-branded products, among other products.
These little colored bricks, which have become iconic for years, reach a wide audience, young and old. The Danish brand is indeed on the rise, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, where demand has exploded.
A global success
As proof, Lego's turnover stopped growing between 2019 and 2022. In four years, the Danish company has multiplied its turnover by 1.6, going from 5.2 billion euros in 2019 to nearly 8.7 billion in 2022.
Results which allow this company to ensure its status as world number one in the toy market, ahead of giants like Hasbro (around 5 billion euros) or Mattel (around 5.2 billion euros).
For Bruno Martinez, owner and manager of La Grotte de Bricks, the reason for this domination is due to several factors: “For me, one of these explanations is the “adulescents”, these children who have become adults and who now have power purchase. »
Having landed in the world of work, these “adults” can now satisfy the desires they may have had as children. No more parents who could, with a simple “no”, sweep away any desire to treat themselves to the latest fashionable box. They are large and financially independent. The Danish firm understands this well.
“At the beginning, Lego was not necessarily aimed at adults, but they realized the importance of this audience around fifteen years ago. For 6-7 years, the shift has been completely assumed. They focused entirely on this market, with more expensive, prettier boxes, seeking licenses that would speak to this audience.”
Which explains the Lego sets on Dune, Jaws or soon Gizmo des Gremlinsoriented towards a nostalgic audience. An observation that can also be quantified. In 2020, twenty-three sets aimed at adults were marketed, compared to seventy in 2022.
These adults who are passionate about building brick buildings or vehicles have a name: AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego). In France, sales of adult products from the Lego brand represent approximately 48% of total sales, indicates the Danish group. That’s an increase of 63%.
Since its installation in 2020, Bruno Martinez's store has never been empty. If, at first, this former Parisian sold Lego and Playmobil, building bricks quickly took over the little characters: “During 2024, I decided to only sell Lego. Playmobils sold significantly less.”
Christmas, “the best time of the year”
Describing himself as a “big kid”, Bruno Martinez found what he was looking for in Chartres, rue Mathurin-Réginier. “It allows me to easily sell what I like. I have always had the chance to work in a sector that I enjoy. »
If all year round, it delights young and old, it is truly during the Christmas period that the biggest sales take place: “If I take the last two months of the year, it’s almost 30 % of my turnover. It's the best time of the year. »
His recommendation for Christmas? “Legos!” ”, unsurprisingly. With products suitable for all age groups: “I sometimes recommend them from the age of one. My oldest customer must be 80 years old! »
