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LEGO Store Pricing – Kuwait vs USA

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Last week I posted about the LEGO store officially opening in Kuwait and a lot of readers were curious to know how the prices were compared to the U.S. So I decided to pass by the store and randomly pick out a few items from the different LEGO collections to compare. Below is a list of 18 different items with their prices in Kuwait as well as their prices on Amazon.

LEGO Star Wars 75095 Tie Fighter
Kuwait: KD149.950
Amazon: KD61

LEGO Star Wars 75059 Sandcrawler
Kuwait: KD159.950
Amazon: KD91

LEGO Star Wars 10240 Red Five X-Wing Starfighter
Kuwait: KD129.950
Amazon: KD78

LEGO Star Wars 75054 AT-AT Building Toy
Kuwait: KD97.950
Amazon: KD48

LEGO Minecraft 21118 The Mine
Kuwait: KD73.950
Amazon: KD38

LEGO Pirates 70413 The Brick Bounty
Kuwait: KD72.950
Amazon: KD45

LEGO Architecture 21019 The Eiffel Tower
Kuwait: KD18.950
Amazon: KD10

LEGO Architecture 21017 Imperial Hotel
Kuwait: KD69.950
Amazon: KD39

LEGO City Police 60068 Crooks’ Hideout
Kuwait: KD32.950
Amazon: KD16

LEGO City Police 60047 Police Station
Kuwait: KD65.950
Amazon: KD24

LEGO City Space Port 60080 Spaceport
Kuwait: KD60.950
Amazon: KD29

LEGO Simpsons 71006 The Simpsons House
Kuwait: KD134.950
Amazon: KD61

LEGO Creator Expert 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper
Kuwait: KD69.500
Amazon: KD39

LEGO Creator Expert 10246 Detective’s Office
Kuwait: KD99.500
Amazon: KD48

LEGO Creator 10232 Palace Cinema
Kuwait: KD79.950
Amazon: KD45

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 31313
Kuwait: KD249.950
Amazon: KD106

LEGO Technic 42039 24 Hours Race Car
Kuwait: KD76.950
Amazon: KD33

LEGO Technic 42030 VOLVO L350F Wheel Load
Kuwait: KD169.950
Amazon: KD74

As you probably noticed, the prices in Kuwait are double that of Amazon and in one case triple. It’s pretty ridiculous considering this is an official store. One of my readers made the extra effort and contacted LEGO to complain about the prices. They replied to him with the following:

Dear Quintin,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.

I’m sorry you’re not happy with the price of LEGO® sets in Kuwait. We know we’re lucky to have so many loyal LEGO fans around the world and we’re always pleased to get feedback – especially when it’s about how we can improve.

Finding the right price for a toy isn’t easy and depends on a lot of considerations. To name a few, our marketing team looks at statistical data about a country’s population, transportation costs, currency exchange rates, local laws and taxes and the prices of other toys. No two countries are exactly the same, so the price may be different from country to country.

Futhermore, to date we do not have any official LEGO® stores in the either Kuwait and Dubai. Therefore, it is not the LEGO group who have set the prices in the particular stores you are referring to, but the individual stores themselves

Please let us know if you need anything else.

Kind regards,

Onno
LEGO® Service

What do they mean they don’t have an official LEGO store in Kuwait? My guess is the customer support person hasn’t been updated on new store openings. In any case, based on their response I’m guessing the reason LEGO costs twice as much in Kuwait is because people here can afford to pay that much. Sucks I know.

62 replies on “LEGO Store Pricing – Kuwait vs USA”

They have the Lego logo on the store but are you sure that this is a direct-lego store? This country as opposed to western countries has no form of real tax and costs are pretty low (until they take the subsidies off) So there’s no real reason to bump up the price. Let me put this another way – the taxes we pay in the UK are 30%+ and businesses pay all kinds of taxes from municipal to VAT but Lego UK is half the price of Kuwait?

extremly overpriced!🤐
i know that the rent of the shop is expensuvd but they don’t have the right to double the price
i would rather buy LEGO from amazon or when i travel rathar than here!!!

What’s Ironic is that there’s a store here in kuwait that Sells Lego sets cheaper than the ‘official’ Lego store, I bought the Detectives office set (10246) for 69kd, whilst the Lego store sells it for 99kd, so much for being official..

i found the LEGO Mindstorms 31313 set for KD25 cheaper at Fantasy World. Still double that of the States but also cheaper than the official LEGO store.

But Fantasy World also sells the Sand Crawler set at KD 200, and has refused to drop the price in the last six months, even though their stock hasn’t moved (compared to KD 160 above).

Hi Mark,
If possible please compare dubai Lego price with the Kuwait price, most of the prices are same.
In my opinion they have a certain pricing way for middleast region.

Another example of shop owners in Kuwait simply changing the currency tag on items and keeping the original number… Pathetic.

I’m sorry but I have seen the exact same thing happen in other countries namely the USA and UK. I bought a dress for my niece from a very well known worldwide brand at $25 and in the UK it was for £25. They just changed the currency. So it doesn’t only happen here. It happens everywhere. It doesn’t mean it’s right, but let’s not point the finger at only Kuwait.

Aseel, there a difference. You’re not stating the half of it. The point is the US is cheaper not that the UK is putting it up higher. Everything is higher in the UK and Europe than the US. I can’t believe your ‘ just changed currency’ statement either. it’s either a coincidence that prices were the same or a sham brand. It’s not generally the case.

Considering the Kuwaiti Dinar is worth over 3 times the USD, the difference is huge, not even close to comparing British Pounds to USD, and not saying that this is something right to do.

I don’t think this is an official store since they don’t have it listed on their website. Plus the lego logo comes as a cube and the store has a certain design which to their close effort almost matched it. The lego sign on the store should have the registered trademark on it. It might be a scam.

That is BULLS***!!! I’m almost pretty sure it’ll still cost less to just buy them off Amazon and ship it with MyUS. Sure it’ll still be expensive, but not double or triple the price!

Guess I’ll stick to buying them from Europe if I get the chance, since they’re so close to the original price.

This is the same for almost every international fashion brands as well here, prices are double than elsewhere. When we moved here from the UK we noticed that all the well-known international brands’ products are being sold here have the same number on the price tag as it was in the UK, the “only” difference is the currency…. and as you know GBP is 2,3 times the KWD….therefore you end up paying more than double the price here in Kuwait.

Yes, it’s way too expensive, though I couldn’t resist buying one. This is not an official store. It’s a Lego certified store, just like the Dubai store, so I guess they can choose to price products the way they want.

Absolutely disgusting! Along with the prices of a lot of items in KUWAIT. Not only Lego. The toys and clothes are all almost double and sometimes triple the price.
I will continue to buy online and get items shipped over or just simple wait until we travel so we can buy such items. I know the rent is extremely high in Kuwait and we have to take into consideration the shipping and tax costs. I expect to pay a LITTLE higher but NOT that high!!!!
Absolutely discraceful!!!!
The Kuwaiti Dinar is one of the strongest currencies so that should surely work in their favor when shipping items into Kuwait.
It really does make me so angry 🙁

+100,000. Exactly. I’m taking my buying online; I’m done with getting ripped off with the price gauging in Kuwait.
They are treating you like a fool, an idiot, and if you buy at these ridiculous prices then I am afraid they are right.

Just like the rising rent prices in Kuwait, there is no reason for the dramatic rises except for greed because people are ignorant and just pay it, much to the owners gleeful satisfaction.
-And I don’t care if you can afford it, or your company is paying- just stop it. You are getting ripped off.

Hey Mark,

I believe what they mean by the store not being an official “LEGO” one is that the actual Lego head office is not operating these stores in Kuwait and Dubai, but the local companies, and they are the ones that set the final price, the Lego home office has no say but they can suggest.

An example is the Apple store in the UAE, their prices are faaaiirrllyy similar to the global prices and that is because it is the ACTUAL Apple company and ownership running the stores, not a local company that has the Apple name, just like several retail companies like Alshaya and such, they bring the brands and operate them and add a certain markup for them.

I think what consumers tend to forget is that yes you can always find prices online cheaper but there are reasons for that.
1- companies are subjected to Mafia prices in terms of rent for these stores. Sometimes as much as 35 kd per square meter … So estimate the size of the lego store x 35 and that is a lot of Legos to sell each month to cover costs. Plus staff / storage / and many other expenses …
2- because these items are small in terms of size and weight and there isn’t any distribution facilities in Middle East most likely the items are also coming in by airfreight and not ocean shipping …

It’s a double edged sword … If you don’t support the companies and people which I call middle tear they will fail .. And just leave more room for the other larger companies to grow and take your money …

You are right to a certain limit, but I use Shop and Ship service which use airfreight (same like any other courier) so this adds up additional 7 KD. Again it’s way cheaper than what we found in this store. They are really overpriced.

Not really true. Check AAB World, which retails photographic equipment in locations all over Kuwait. In many cases, their prices are equivalent to Amazon prices, and even when it is higher, it will still beat the price if you start adding the shipping, import duties, and the hassles.

I completely agree, those are definitely factors to consider, however, the prices should not reach double or even more. 10-20KD more is reasonable. Keep in mind they are getting the items at wholesale prices.

If Avenues is expensive just open anywhere else! U don’t need the avenues to sell legos! even if you open in Wafra at good normal international prices I will drive there! and I’m pretty sure everyone will do that!

Oh that is sad. I was expecting high prices, but this is just ridiculous. I guess pretty much everything in Kuwait is over priced. Haha, except for Burger & Lobster, really surprised that they’re charging the same as the UK! Every other store, we literally pay double or even triple. Take it from every girl who pays absurd prices for makeup, perfume and clothes. Argh.

“I’m guessing the reason LEGO costs twice as much in Kuwait is because people here can afford to pay that much.” – Your guess is damn right Mark! And it is not just the Lego store but every store here in Kuwait have their prices doubled or tripled.

Leys not generalize please. First of all the owners are Emirati and in the Emirates they are known to up their prices drastically. I’ve had to deal with their anger for my fair retail prices in the past. Secondly, I can afford to buy at these prices but I refuse to, and so do most of Kuwait. Trust me, they came to the wrong market.

Your comparing apple to watermelon. Highly inaccurate analysis leading to false amature conclusions. I’m appalled.

ULLA….
Businesses should learn how to set prices from companies like AAB world… They sell their products with almost the same prices as Amazon…

Doubling the prices has no justification ! I will never want to buy from stores like that…

I would recommend for the guy who write them, to send them an email again, saying that only working force with great salaries are kuwaiti and they are around 300 thousand, others are children and elder from one million, and most of foreigners salary cannot afford these absurd prices which is over 4 million, that 3 million of them are in workforce, which makes an obvious low purchases, and as the number of purchasing is lowering, therefore you cannot sell as much as you can, which goes back to selling those unsold products to cost, which is very unprofitable, that leads to only one conclusion you should fire those unqualified sale cost, because they basically based price on stereotype, not solid statistic facts

Fortunately I’m in oil and gas and surrounded by people on rotation to the States and the UK, people who come to Kuwait every 28 days with empty suitcases. If there is the demand/appetite from people who’d be willing to pay the US/UK with just a small reasonable markup then I may just begin a mail order thing!

I recently went to the Dubai store and loved a couple of items but when I saw the price tag I checked it on Amazon and it was half online! So of course I ordered it through Amazon. I expect this of Dubai, but not Kuwait. Is it the same franchise owners? It would explain A LOT! and here I was excited that we have our own Lego store.

Btw this doesn’t only happen in this region. I’ve compared prices between the USA and UK. Again, double the price in the UK for the same item.

The Lego guys email is even more disgusting than the prices of their products. Their production cost is same irrespective of where the products are sold. But they set their prices based on statistical data and the prices of other toys in the market. So, firstly the rather skewed income disparity data here screws us. And secondly because other toy stores screw us so it’s okay for Lego to do likewise. That’s real nice of them. I am surely not going in over there.

Also, It would be interesting to see a response from Majid Al Futtaim about this price comparison.

Mark, your motivation, time, and effort to make such mirco-personal investigations intrigues me; I admire you effort here and across you blog. Keep up the good work.

And, yes, I am appalled at these prices and more over that people apparently “can’t resist” purchasing something that is an obvious highway robbery. Unless one is swimming in desert boredom and massive expendable income, I just can’t fathom paying these prices.

Capitalism on steroids– a legal high.

When I went to the shop and saw the price of the Mindstorms set, I almost yelled BS.. dragged my dropped jaw to the sales-persons and asked them Why is it triple the price of Amazon’s..
Ofcourse they immediately gave me the `Surrender` gesture and said “We don’t know anything, we’re new.”

My voice was loud enough for the wandering customers to hear. Talking about how prices are double of those on the net.

As I walked out, I couldn’t help but notice people are leaving the store with purchases. Mostly people who want to quickly buy gifts for an occasion I guess.

In the end, no matter how irritated we are about this, the store will stay, they’ll be able to pay the rent and make lots of profit. People will pay to save time (10-15 days from the net) or simply don’t know how to order.

I think I had enough sips but not too much.. kept my text sane and clean :p

DUDE THANK YOU FOR SPREADING THE WORD.
I had a fight with them about that and they of course lied telling me shipping and custom duties but i know its lies lies lies, custom duties in Kuwait are 5% in the US and UK is around 17% to 19%, plus lego is also shipped to UK and US so the shipping issue is not an excuse. Every spread the word for your loved ones, do not buy from this store, the prices are simply fraudulent and thievery.

I agree with everyone here their prices are DISGUSTING.

I went to their Avenues store today with my nephew, who’s a minecraft addict, and was planning on buying him a minecraft lego set. The markup in price is not only greedy, but complete INSANITY. They simply replaced the dollar $ sign with KD, and THEN SOME!!! Even my nephew who is 11 years old said why are they too expensive??? I dont want it anymore ! I agree that the price should like 10% higher but this absolute madness ! Found the same set on Amazon less than DOUBLE/TRIPLE the price !!!! And I never even saw one person leaving their store with one bag of purchases. Most people were there Oohing and Aaahing at the display and then leaving. I hope they (Owners of the store) get whats coming to them and lose money over this shop !!

P.S. Im Kuwaiti Engineer with high paying job, incase they thought people like me were going to be OK with their horrendous prices

I have also become a victim of their overprice craze recently. Basically I purchased the MindStorm v3 31313 for USD 840/- from Mall of The Emirates when it is only USD 350 all around the World.

Having complained to “everybody I could think of” – including Lego and the Credit Card company I used to purchase the item, this is what I learned and I am sharing it with everyone:

1- The stores in Kuwait and Dubai (as well as many others in Asia) are called “Lego Certified Store” and not a “Lego Brand Retail Store” and this means, by Lego certifying the store, they can only suggest prices, but cannot gurantee that the store will sell at these suggested pricing.

2- both Kuwait & Dubai stores sell items at almos tthe same “exaggerated” pricing. Both stores owned by Al-Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment Company – the same company that is soon bringing you VOX cinemas in Kuwait.

3- Having purcahsed this item in Dubai, I drafted a complained to Dubai’s government Consumer Protection Agency, but I really doubt they’d do anything.

4- The store in Charge lost his cool when I complained over the phone about this ripoff, and he tried to defend it first by saying that it is V2 price that I was looking at, and after I proved to him the opposite, he wen back and said, I do not have a refund policy, just exchange.

Why would I exchange? All his items are relatively overpriced by similar ratio.

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