
The LEGO Group was founded on 10 August 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter and woodworker based in Billund, a small town in Jutland, Denmark. Ole had run a workshop producing household goods β stepladders, ironing boards and furniture β but the onset of the Great Depression meant his traditional customers, the local farming community, could no longer afford his products. Forced to adapt, he began producing small, affordable wooden toys, finding that these sold above almost everything else. Despite extreme financial difficulty β at times accepting food as payment β he refused to abandon toy production and in 1932 formally founded what would become the LEGO Group.
In 1934, Ole held a competition among his employees to name the company, offering a bottle of homemade wine as the prize. The winner was "LEGO", a contraction of the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning "play well". Ole later discovered by coincidence that "lego" also means "I put together" or "I assemble" in Latin. The company motto, inscribed on a sign in the factory and still used today, was det bedste er ikke for godt β "only the best is good enough". Ole's son Godtfred Kirk Christiansen joined the business in 1942 and was named Junior Managing Director in 1950. Together, father and son conceived of the "system of play" idea β a range of interlocking bricks that could be combined in endless configurations.
In 1947 LEGO became the first toy manufacturer in Denmark to purchase a plastic injection moulding machine, a transformative investment that cost more than twice the previous year's profits. By 1949 they were producing a plastic product called the Automatic Binding Brick. The iconic stud-and-tube interlocking brick design β still used in every LEGO set today β was patented on 28 January 1958. Ole Kirk Christiansen died the same year, and Godtfred assumed full control. The first LEGOLAND theme park opened in Billund in 1968, and DUPLO (larger bricks for younger children) launched in 1969. The Minifigure β the ubiquitous yellow humanoid β was introduced in 1978. LEGO was named Toy of the Century by several organisations in 2000, and in the first half of 2015 became the world's largest toy manufacturer by revenue. The company remains privately owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family via the Kirkbi investment firm and is headquartered in Billund to this day. In 2025, LEGO opened a $1 billion factory in Vietnam designed to run entirely on clean energy.
| Top 20 Lego Outlet brands | ||
|---|---|---|
| Brand | No. of products | Average discount |
| LEGO | 9890 | 0.6% |
| Unbranded | 110 | 10.8% |
| Brick Solutions UK | 20 | 0.0% |
| Branded | 16 | 0.0% |
| Brick Nest | 15 | 0.0% |
| BRICK IN IT | 11 | 0.0% |
| lego BRICKBUMS | 7 | 0.0% |
| sky fixtures | 6 | 0.0% |
| Brickify | 6 | 0.0% |
| Build Blocks | 5 | 0.0% |
| 3Dudes & Dad | 5 | 0.0% |
| lego BLAS TECH INDUSTRIES | 5 | 0.0% |
| Opus Displays | 4 | 0.0% |
| capes4minifigs | 3 | 0.0% |
| MOULDKING | 2 | 10.0% |
| Competible with LEGO | 2 | 0.0% |
| Unbranded(Generic) | 2 | 0.0% |
| ONVEX | 2 | 0.0% |
| Metal Technic Parts | 2 | 0.0% |
| Botanicals (Tbc) LEGO | 2 | 0.0% |
The LEGO outlet section offers discounted sets including end-of-line, retiring and clearance products from across the full LEGO range. This is one of the best places to find sets that are being discontinued at reduced prices before they disappear from sale entirely. Once a set retires, secondary market prices typically rise significantly, making outlet pricing particularly attractive to collectors.
LEGO produce sets across a wide range of themes, and the outlet and sale sections draw from the full catalogue. Popular ranges include LEGO City, Technic, Creator, Architecture, Icons, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, DC, Minecraft, Ninjago, Friends, Disney and LEGO Ideas. The Ideas range is submitted and voted on by fans of the brand before being approved for production.
DUPLO sets for younger builders (ages 1.5 and up), LEGO Education sets for schools and coding-focused products such as LEGO Spike are also available. Discounted LEGO education and DUPLO sets occasionally appear in outlet and clearance promotions.
Yes β the fundamental LEGO stud-and-tube brick design has remained unchanged since it was patented in 1958. Modern LEGO bricks are compatible with bricks produced decades ago, which is a central part of the brand's enduring appeal and why older sets retain collector value. Specialised elements such as Technic pins and DUPLO bricks are not cross-compatible with the standard brick system.
LEGO is derived from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning "play well". The name was chosen by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1934 after a naming competition among his employees. It was later discovered that "lego" also means "I put together" or "I assemble" in Latin, a happy coincidence that aligns neatly with the product.
Retired LEGO sets β particularly from popular themes such as Star Wars, Icons, Creator Expert and LEGO Ideas β have historically appreciated significantly in value on the secondary market once they are discontinued. Buying sets from the outlet at below-RRP pricing before they retire is a strategy used by many collectors. However, as with any collectible, past performance does not guarantee future returns.
LEGO do not currently advertise a dedicated NHS or student discount programme in the UK. Their outlet and sale sections offer the best savings, particularly during Black Friday in November when discounts across retiring and popular sets can be significant.
LEGO run Black Friday promotions each November with discounts across their full range, including retiring sets and popular themes. Their VIP loyalty programme members typically receive early access to sale pricing and exclusive offers. The LEGO outlet section carries discounted and clearance sets year-round as sets retire from the main catalogue.
LEGO is privately owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family, the descendants of founder Ole Kirk Christiansen, via their family investment firm Kirkbi A/S. The company has remained family-owned throughout its entire history and is headquartered in Billund, Denmark, where it was founded in 1932. It is the world's largest toy manufacturer by revenue.
LEGO operate factories in Billund (Denmark), Kladno (Czech Republic), Monterrey (Mexico), NyΓregyhΓ‘za (Hungary), and a new $1 billion factory opened in Vietnam in 2025, designed to run entirely on clean energy. The ABS plastic bricks are manufactured to extremely precise tolerances β LEGO quote a permitted variance of just two micrometres per brick to ensure consistent clutch power and compatibility across all sets.
Last year the best sale for Lego Outlet was the October sale with 1668 items reduced and an average discount of 1.7%
| Date | Month | Volume | Avg Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/10/2025 | October | 1668 | 1.7% |
| 03/10/2025 | October | 1671 | 1.7% |
| 04/10/2025 | October | 1661 | 1.7% |
| 02/10/2025 | October | 1634 | 1.7% |
| 06/10/2025 | October | 1612 | 1.7% |
| 07/10/2025 | October | 1730 | 1.5% |
| 09/11/2025 | November | 1784 | 1.5% |
| 14/11/2025 | November | 1582 | 1.6% |
| 08/11/2025 | November | 1763 | 1.5% |
| 07/11/2025 | November | 1671 | 1.4% |
| 11/01/2026 | January | 1608 | 1.3% |
| 10/01/2026 | January | 1583 | 1.3% |
| 12/01/2026 | January | 1551 | 1.3% |
| 09/01/2026 | January | 1573 | 1.3% |
| 12/11/2025 | November | 1460 | 1.1% |
| 11/11/2025 | November | 1464 | 1.1% |
| 13/11/2025 | November | 1379 | 1.1% |
| 07/01/2026 | January | 967 | 1.5% |
| 08/01/2026 | January | 1271 | 1.0% |
| 27/07/2025 | July | 1180 | 1.0% |
We are predicting the next Lego Outlet sale to be the Summer sale in July. 139 days to go!
LEGO Friends Flower Stand with Roses Set 30721 Mini Doll Building Toy
Lego - Star Wars - Action Pack - Brand New Sealed B83 P451
LEGO 41709 Lego Friends Holiday Beach House Heartlake City Playset 686 Pieces
Lego Star Wars- Galactic Adventures books with bonus book
Indoraptor Rampage at Lockwood Estate (75930) 1019PCS Building Blocks w/ Figures
The Shrieking Shack & Whomping Willow (76407) 777PCS Building Blocks w/ Figures
Lego Friends Vet Clinic Rescue Buggy Set 41442 Andrea Stephanie Minifigures
LEGO Botanicals: Bouquet of Pink Roses (10374)
LEGO City Rides Fire Engine Toy - Emergency Vehicles Building Set w/a Firefigh
LEGO Toy Story: Construct-a-Buzz (7592)
LEGO Speed Champions McLaren W1 (77257) Official Brand New
LEGO Speed Champions 77243 Red Bull Formula 1 Race Car Age 9+ 251pcs
LEGO 40167 DUPLO, My First set - Promotional set Brand New And Sealed Fast Post
LEGO DUPLO 30648 Whale Polybag 3 in 1 Build New & Sealed Age 1+
The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell (10316) Building Blocks 6167PCS w/ 15 Figures
LEGO Heart Ornament Toy - Kids' Arts & Crafts Kit incl. a Display MulticolorProducts from Lego Outlet start from just £0.99 for the LEGO BRACKET 2x2 - 1x2 CENTERED - 41682 - SELECT COL - BESTPRICE ON EBAYπ NEW.
The most significant price drop we are tracking right now is on the LEGO Friends Flower Stand with Roses Set 30721 Mini Doll Building Toy, which offers a massive 93% off the standard £6.99 retail price.
Yes! Use the code SPRINGY10 at checkout for extra savings on selected items.