The craze is real! Labubu toy hype is unstoppable with people camping and standing in lines outside the stores for a change to snag a “Bubu”. The popular designer toy store for adults and kids opened in Chicago in 2024. The brand started in China in 2010 and became widely known known for its “blind box” concept, where buyers don’t know which toy is in it until they open it.
People are flocking across shopping malls and online stores so that they can get their hands on the latest edition of Labubu, a collectible toy that has sparked buying frenzies around the world.
Labubu plush toy craze
The Labubu plush toy is inspired by Nordic folklore, the toothy, fluffy figurines, which typically come in palm-sized “blind boxes”. The brainchild of Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised illustrator Kasing Lung, Labubu and fellow creatures from his “The Monsters” series have amassed a loyal following since their founding in 2015.
Labubu dolls are fuzzy little Nordic elves and they are female, kind-hearted, but sometimes, as they go about spreading joy, they get into trouble. As per Emily Brough, head of licensing at Pop Mart North America, the trouble caused by the doll is “well-intentioned” and not malicious.
Labubu toy popularity with celebrity endorsement
The popularity of the Labubu toy increased multiple fold after celebrity endorsements. Lisa, from K-pop mega group Blackpink, has frequently professed her love of the creature on social media.
In February, the pop star Rihanna was spotted with a Labubu, clipped onto her Louis Vuitton bag. Ditto with singer Dua Lipa. Again, this week, actress Emma Roberts posted an Instagram story of her latest haul of four Labubu dolls.
Labubu collectible figures cost
The latest release has six plush pendants called “Big Into Energy,” along with one “secret” figurine representing “emotions” like love, hope and happiness.
A blind box for Labubu from the latest series is priced at $27.99, up from $21.99 for the previous series in U.S. The new Labubus cost between $13 and $16 each in various Asian countries. Shortly after their release on Friday, some pendants were being resold for up to $90 on US online resell platform StockX.
Fan craze of rare viral Labubus toy release
Many videos of young fans anxiously unboxing the Labubu plush toy have flooded social media platforms. Among the new Labubus being released is a rare one labeled “Secret,” which buyers have just a 1-in-72- chance of unboxing. Each time a new Labubu is released, it would sell out within minutes online.
Labubu community
Labubu has a huge community where fans discuss tips on how to score dolls or dress them up and share images of their collections and how they accessories the dolls.
Success of Pop Mart
The Chinese company, Pop Mart’s success is fantastic and seems to be recession-proof. Its stock and profits rallying despite global economic uncertainty and trade war concerns. The revenue for 2024 was reported as $1.8 billion, a 100% plus increase from the previous year. The Labubu dolls and The Monsters tribe contributed about $400 million in revenue last year with a growth of 726% from the previous year.
Labubu in Blind Box
Pop Mart has created an ongoing buzz around the Labubu toys by releasing some of them in a “blind box”. This strategy is what keeps the buyers interested.
In response to the Labubu craze mini industries have sprung up on sites like Etsy and AliExpress. They sell tiny outfits designed for the dolls, car seats and even little handbags.
Labubu toy buying frenzy
Labubu toy buying frenzy in U.S. has led to the Pop Mart website and app crashing before the release. This is due to more traffic than the company had anticipated. By the time the site and app were back up, the dolls had already sold out.
