Many of our readers and subscribers pointed out that the sets they were expecting to see released in August are still not available at the Online LEGO Shop. In addition, most of these upcoming sets have a vague “Coming Soon” message posted on their page, instead of a specific release date. LEGO fans are disappointed and confused about the delays, and they are also worried that with no specific release date mentioned, they may miss out when the sets do become available.
These concerns were also raised by members of many other communities, and below I have included LEGO’s clarification and response. In addition, there are some other updates in regards to availability, which I have included as well.
The typical release for the summer sets is June for Europe and August in North America. This is because EU stores swap their stock twice a year in January and June, and North American retailers restock their shelves twice a year in January and August/September. These are standard business models in these markets and outside of the control of the LEGO Group.
This year, new releases in North America have been impacted by the closing of the LEGO factory in Mexico due to the pandemic. Thus, some of the sets originally scheduled for an August 1st release have been delayed due to production limitations. This shows up at the online LEGO shop by having a “Coming Soon” notification on some products and “Available August 1st” for others. The “Coming Soon” sets have not been canceled, just delayed.
Sets that were originally scheduled for August 1st have been moved to September 1st, however if the products are received earlier in the warehouse, they can be launched earlier. This is why some of the sets are listed as “Coming Soon” without a specific date. So to summarize, sets marked as “Coming Soon” will launch anytime between now and September 1st. Sets that are marked as available with a specific date will get released on that date. LEGO’s other factories are working hard to assist all markets including replacing the locations normally served by the factory in Mexico.
Sets from themes that are currently listed as just “Coming Soon” with no specific release date and should be available between now and September first include LEGO Architecture, LEGO Batman, LEGO City, the new LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets, LEGO Disney, LEGO Friends, LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Hidden Side, and LEGO Ninjago. For updates, check the Online LEGO Shop.
Sets that are listed for September 1st release include LEGO Technic, LEGO Star Wars, the second wave of LEGO Monkie Kid, LEGO Trolls World Tour, LEGO Iron Man, and the rest of the LEGO Art Mosaics (only Iron Man was released so far). To see them all, visit the Online LEGO Shop.
It’s also worth noting that one of the LEGO Star Wars sets scheduled for September 1st, the #75293 LEGO Star Wars Resistance I-TS Transport is now available for pre-order. This is a highly anticipated set from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – a new land at Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort. It comes with a very cool shuttle with removable top, opening sides, four rotating stud shooters by the cockpit and four rear stud shooters. The four characters are Lieutenant Bek, Vi Moradi, an Astromech Droid, and a GNK Power Droid. Pre-ordering the set assures you will have it shipped as soon as it’s available and don’t have to worry about it going out of stock before you can hit the buy button. If you’re interested, visit the LEGO Star Wars section of the Online LEGO Shop.
Another concern that was recently raised at the LEGO Ambassador Forum is that the purchase limitation on the new LEGO Powered Up components were set too low. This made it difficult for those working on several projects or larger projects that required more than just a few of these components. Below is the response from AFOL Engagement Manager, Jordan Paxton:
For the past few weeks, I have been working with LEGO Retail, LEGO Consumer Services and our Order Verification Team to stress the need to examine the limits on certain products and the current limit time frame. Your voices are heard and we recognize that there are certain items where the need to purchase additional LEGO Powered Up motors or hubs is critical. We are also in a situation where production is limited due to the virus.
There are concerns around increasing the limits on certain products that have long lead-times. Powered elements are a very good example of an item with a significant lead-time. If we go back to 2016 when the #10254 LEGO Creator Holiday Train was released, train motors, HUBs, and remotes sold out prior to November and were out of stock for over six months. This was a very challenging time for everyone as you could not power the train or any other product you just received. Hence the need for limits.
While we do not have any information to share on the purchase limit period, we can share that we were able to come to an agreement that limits could be increased on certain products. For most Powered Up elements, the quantity purchase limits have been increased from 2 or 3 up to 5.
In summary, if you are interested to get any of the delayed summer sets, keep an eye on the Online LEGO Shop. One thing I have found helpful is to add them to my Wish List, so I can check the availability of all the sets I’m interested in on one page. What about you? Are there any sets you’re eagerly waiting for? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!
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