Yet the opening of the Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester’s Trafford Centre marks the arrival of a real retail-cum-leisure destination where the pleasures of enjoying one of the world’s favourite toys are combined with the chance to walk away with elements of it from the on-site shop.

Less of a shop and rather more of an experience. How many retailers might wish that this was the view taken of their shops? The term experiential retailing seems to have been around since the year dot; so much so that it is seen as hackneyed and improbable by many.

Yet the opening of the Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester’s Trafford Centre marks the arrival of a real retail-cum-leisure destination where the pleasures of enjoying one of the world’s favourite toys are combined with the chance to walk away with elements of it from the on-site shop.

The interesting point about the store is that it is a move away from the light, bright format with translucent bowls of bricks that characterises Lego’s current global retail manifestation. Instead, only two colours are used, soft pink and blue, both set against a distinctly black backdrop.

This colour palette is used consistently across the store with the pink shelves and mid-shop fixturing contrasting with the generally blue packaging of the stock. This is then reinforced by the use of pink and blue-green pendant lights overhead, creating areas of light and dark and adding drama to the store interior.

This is actually a very simple store layout and the retailer clearly expects large numbers of people, given the ample circulation space. And it is one of only two Lego stores set in this kind of environment - the other is in Berlin. From the Trafford Centre’s perspective, it also provides an additional reason to leave Manchester city centre and make the journey out to Trafford Park.

Shopfitting on the job was carried out by Styles & Wood.