The LEGO VIP program hints at the size of the company’s adult market

The LEGO Group has revealed that more than two-thirds of its VIP members are adults buying sets for themselves, reinforcing the size of the company’s adult market.

As Brick Fanatics reported back in January, the LEGO Group has seen a four-fold increase in the size of the adult market over the past decade or so. That figure has no doubt been given a further substantial boost by the company’s recent ‘adults welcome’ campaign, which includes rebranding the Creator Expert theme and introducing the ‘18+’ label.

The LEGO VIP team has now disclosed that the push towards adult fans of LEGO (or AFOLs) is also reflected in the demographics of the LEGO Group’s loyalty program, with more than two-thirds of its members comprised of older fans.

“I would say the majority of our membership – like, 70% – are adults buying for themselves,” Global VIP Program Director Jason Whiting revealed during a recent roundtable interview. However, he also clarified that there is some crossover between demographics, and while those members do accumulate their own collections, they don’t necessarily shop exclusively for themselves.

“I wouldn’t shoehorn a fan into a specific category like that, because just over 40% of our members are parents that shop for their kids,” he explained. “You’re talking 70% and 40% right there – there’s a massive overlap.

“I would say the biggest chunk of our membership is definitely adults buying for themselves, but we have a tonne of parents and grandparents buying for their kids, and then gift-givers. Our members who are super-engaged with the brand and really love the brand also tend to be the best gift-givers. So they give it to their kids, their kids’ friends, and everything like that.”

Jason also discussed the wide reach of the VIP program within that remaining 30% of members, and how the team recognises the need to balance the service offered by the loyalty scheme between both hardcore AFOLs and new consumers.

“We have everything from people who’ve been shopping with us for 10 years to people making their first-ever purchase for their kid who just wants a CITY set,” he said. “Across the board, it’s a very inclusive program – and it’s meant to be that way.

“It’s founded on LEGO values of inclusivity, so everybody gets access to it. But then we also know that a lot of our members like very specific things, and have a very specific relationship to the brand, so we try to make sure that there’s something for everybody.”

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