Whatâs Going On Here?Lego announced record 2021 results on Tuesday, after the worldâs biggest toymaker spent the year carefully assembling a winning strategy. What Does This Mean?Lego was given a new lease of life in 2020, when tinkerers of all ages replaced a world they were locked out of with one made of blocks. And turns out itâs a hard habit to kick: Lego fans rushed back to the companyâs reopened stores last year, in hopes of getting their hands on one of its must-have Harry Potter and Star Wars kits. That demand didnât just offset the companyâs higher costs: it made Lego one of the few retailers to open stores last year â 165 of them, to be precise. That drove its revenue 27% higher last year than in 2020, and its profit up by more than a third â both to record highs. Why Should I Care?The bigger picture: Legoâs building.
Lego has been dominating the toymaking market for years now, and thatâs partly down to some smart planning: the company builds production facilities close to where it wants to sell its toys, meaning it reduces the logistical costs and challenges that most of its rivals are facing. Thatâs been especially important in the last 18 months or so, when supply chains have been all blocked up. And itâs not stopping now: Legoâs planning to start building its sixth global factory in Vietnam soon, as part of a $1 billion push to tap into the Asian market (tweet this).
Zooming out: A jawline made for Hollywood.
Still, Legoâs update shows that it isnât immune from higher costs, and nor are its rivals. That might be why Barbie-maker Mattel said last month that itâs planning to push into areas like gaming, filmmaking, and NFTs to help boost sales. Itâs not a bad idea: projects like those arenât wrapped up with supply chains, and a world as calamitous as this needs â no, deserves â Ryan Gosling as Ken. | 
