US EditionLabubu Plushies Aren’t Just Toys. They’re a Brand New Frontier for Chinese Soft Power.
CHINA, JUN 24 – Labubu dolls, representing nearly 30% of Pop Mart's sales, have sparked global collector enthusiasm and celebrity endorsements, fueling the Chinese brand's rapid international expansion.
- On June 13, 2025, a young woman in Shanghai purchased 34 Labubu figurines from a Pop Mart vending machine, each costing 69 yuan.
- Pop Mart, a Beijing-based company specializing in affordable collectible figurines since 2015, launched Labubu as part of a strategic shift to export Chinese brands globally.
- Labubu toys come in many formats like keychains and figurines, sold in limited blind boxes that create anticipation and foster large communities online and offline.
- Marketing specialist Yulia Nevskaya explains that customers are drawn to the product not just for its content, but for the excitement and surprise involved in revealing what’s inside the box—an experience that resembles gambling in its emotional impact but lacks the associated risks.
- Labubu's global popularity reflects China's broader economic transition to services and brands, suggesting rising soft power and cultural influence among young Western consumers.
31 Articles
31 Articles
If your Labubu doll has more than nine teeth, or if it comes in a box with a shiny finish, it may not be a Labubu at all. It may be a "Lafufu." The popular elf-shaped doll imitations, collectively called "the Monsters" and sold exclusively by Chinese toy retailer Pop Mart, have become almost as popular as the real one, and are much easier to find.
Labubus Are the New Bag Charms — Shop the Viral Trend Here
Whether I'm walking through SoHo on a summer Friday or aimlessly scrolling on TikTok, there's one accessory I've seen nonstop that's quite alarming: the Labubu. Not to be confused with bag charms, the Chinese toy has recently become a hot commodity in the accessory world, sported on handbags everywhere — from everyday wristlets to the coveted Hermès Birkin. Being that we do live in an ever-controversial trend cycle, should we really be surprised…
Bronze artifact dated 2,200 years ago goes viral online for striking resemblance to Labubu
An Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770BC-256BC) bronze artifact exhibited at the Luoyang Museum in Central China's Henan Province has sparked online fascination after netizens humorously noted its striking resemblance to the trendy Chinese toy Labubu.
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