LEGO has announced the results of the 2018 financial year and the headline is that 2018 was a year of stabilisation and modest growth.
Revenue for the full year increased 4% to DKK 36.4 billion compared with DKK 35.0 billion in 2017. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange, revenues for the full year increased 7% compared with 2017.
China continues to be a big growth area for the LEGO Group. Established markets delivered single-digit revenue growth in 2018, while China achieved double-digit revenue growth. This growth in China helps explain why LEGO decided to create an exclusive for that market.
The growth in China was due to the company expanding its presence through traditional retail channels, branded stores, e-commerce and digital platforms.
The LEGO Group’s operating profit amounted to DKK 10.8 billion in 2018 an increase of 4% against DKK 10.4 billion in 2017. The operating margin was 29.6% in 2018, unchanged from 2017.
Overall these are good figures and they show that the company isn’t likely to disappear any time soon.
The top selling themes in 2018 were City, Technic™, Star Wars™, Friends and NINJAGO. Harry Potter, Jurassic World and Creator also performed strongly.
You can find more information including full financial statements here.
That a great result, but personally, I feel that in the last year lego has been releasing far too awesome sets over the $200 price point, the UCS Falcon put a massive strain on my budget, and I’ve not been able to purchase and build as many sets In the last year.
So many great sets, and I just have to say, “well I can’t afford it”, it’s an upsetting feeling and I’m finding that it’s taking away some of the enjoyment I get from my lego.
I always find reading these reports fascinating 🙂
And I agree with Andrew.