| LEGO Certified store has been around the world, opening in locations with larger foot traffic. Mostly, it carries exclusive sets and collectible merchandise that is not available in general retail. It is solely focused on selling LEGO exclusive products and limited-time-only collectibles that a hardcore fan would ever buy in this store.
In the Philippines, the first Certified Store opened its first branch in the summer of 2015, with long lines snaking outside to get the chance to experience some of the exclusive services a regular LEGO store has to offer. |
For clarity, the LEGO Certified Store is not run by the LEGO Group, but it is operated by authorized third-party partners rather than directly by The LEGO Group, unlike official LEGO Stores. Previously, when the first LEGO Certified Store (LCS) opened its doors in the country, it was operated by LAJ Marketing, which was the licensed distributor for the LEGO brand since acquiring it from Gift Gate in 2006.
By the time 2019 rolled in, LAJ Marketing had let go of the distribution of LEGO in retail and had been selling off the stock of their products in 2018 at as much as 80% off. In August that year, Bankee Trading took over distribution and had a major event introducing new LEGO products dubbed “Fun Con.”
Since the previous distributor relinquished the rights to be the third-party distributor for the LEGO brand, they are also no longer the operators of the Certified Stores. There have been five locations as of this writing.
But the first one that opened nearly a decade ago and it’s not even located where foot traffic is accessible to anyone. If you are a casual shopper, you won’t even see it like the other locations situated inside a shopping centre.
The first branch is located at Park Triangle, where it used to have food establishments surrounding the area. But with the COVID-19 pandemic that changed drastically, and in the last five years, the local stores are no longer operating, leaving this Certified Store the only one aside from the Kenny Rogers’ Restaurant next door.
The LEGO Certified Store at Park Triangle has gone through some challenges, and yet, it remains one of the biggest locations next to the recently opened branch in Shangri-La Mall, which used to be located at the Ayala 30th until they transferred it to its current location.
Just like the usual LEGO Stores in other countries, they have basic services that no retail store has, like the Pick-A-Brick Wall and the Build-A-Minifigure section, which are the most notable ones you will find in this location. Aside from that, they still do engraving names on bricks with a minimum fee.
Due to the remote location, this store closes early with the trading hours until 8 PM. It’s rare anyone would frequent this location due to the fact that it’s considered an “off-the-grid” store; very few would know its location, unless you are an AFOL.
But for those unfamiliar, it was featured as the only store that was featured in a visit by Christopher Lee, aka A target=_blank href=https://www.youtube.com/@DuckBricks>Duck Bricks, who won the LEGO Masters in Season 4 of the US series, alongside his partner Robert Zhang, who was passing through in Manila, where he visited the Park Triangle branch in 2023, which also includes other local stores.
The Park Triangle location is considered a destination for those hunting for sets not sold in other Certified Stores, and its Build-A-Minifigure selection is not the same as the one found in the other stores. This is certainly one of the original locations that really needs its support despite being partly hidden in this location.
If you can’t visit due to the location, they also do online deliveries through their Shop at Home services through their social media, and have contact details for you to check what stock they have.
But whenever you visit, they are the place to make the first stop, as they really have some sets that you might not see in the other stores that they still have.
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