Lego loss on Potter, Star Wars in 2003; New 'PoA' pieces ready for pre-order
January 5, 2004 at 4:57 PM ET
Cheeser
iharrypotter.net (via Telegraph)
Children's toy company Lego
announced its worst-ever loss in the organization's 72-year history after an "unexpectedly bad, nearly catastrophic" 2003. Star Wars and Harry Potter products had a disappointing 12 months, chief operating officer Poul Plougmann told Danish newspaper Boersen.
The company, which based its empire on plastic building bricks, had worked hard since it made a $180m loss in 2000 to turn round the business, and achieved successful sales of Harry Potter and Star Wars products last year (2002). The Hogwarts Castle, a top-of-the-range item in the Harry Potter series, sold almost a million items.
Update: Lego has fired Plougmann and another top executive, according to the Associated Press, and expects to announce plans to reduce their 8,000-strong workforce in the near future.
In related news, ToyWiz.com is taking pre-orders for the new Lego sets for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Included:
- Draco's encounter with Buckbeak
- Lupin's classroom
- Sirius Black's escape
- Knight Bus
- Shrieking Shack and more
The sets will start shipping in May, and are available for pre-order now. Thanks to The Leaky Cauldron for the tip.