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Thursday, Aug 21, 2025
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A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
The rise of Labubu, the quirky fuzzy toy driving a global craze : Toymaker reports sharp profit acceleration and eyes substantial revenues as Labubu dolls gain worldwide traction.
Pop Mart, the Hong Kong-listed toy company behind the Labubu character, reported an almost four-hundred percent increase in net profit in the first half of 2025, driven by surging global demand for its “The Monsters” collection, which includes Labubu.
Revenue for the period rose more than two-hundred percent year-on-year, reaching approximately thirty billion yuan (around four point one-eight billion US dollars), exceeding the company’s initial twenty billion yuan forecast.
International sales comprised around forty percent of total revenue, and the company plans to open ten additional stores in the United States by the end of the year.
Shares climbed to historic highs, pushing the company's valuation past toy industry stalwarts such as Mattel and Sanrio.
Labubu, a toothy, oversized-eared monster, emerged as the signature character of Pop Mart’s collectible offerings after a partnership formed in 2019.
The line has sold thousands of variants, including limited editions and oversized figures—one four-foot mint-green model sold in June for approximately one hundred seventy thousand US dollars.
The brand's blind-box format fuels rare-item appeal, driving resale values and consumer excitement.
Pop Mart operates over five hundred staffed outlets and more than two thousand “roboshops” globally, including over thirty staff-run stores in the United States, with an aggressive global rollout underway.
The company also revealed plans to release mini Labubu key-chain charms for phones in the near term.
Analysts have described Labubu as potentially the next global character franchise in the vein of Hello Kitty, noting its head-turning aesthetic, celebrity visibility, and social media popularity.
The character has outpaced Hello Kitty in global search interest and inspired cross-market presence across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Beyond core product lines such as Molly, Crybaby, and Skullpanda—all earning over one billion yuan each—Pop Mart is exploring animation and theme-park ventures to broaden brand engagement.
Labubu’s ascent illustrates a rising global appetite for collectible designer toys sold through blind-box surprise mechanisms.
Revenue for the period rose more than two-hundred percent year-on-year, reaching approximately thirty billion yuan (around four point one-eight billion US dollars), exceeding the company’s initial twenty billion yuan forecast.
International sales comprised around forty percent of total revenue, and the company plans to open ten additional stores in the United States by the end of the year.
Shares climbed to historic highs, pushing the company's valuation past toy industry stalwarts such as Mattel and Sanrio.
Labubu, a toothy, oversized-eared monster, emerged as the signature character of Pop Mart’s collectible offerings after a partnership formed in 2019.
The line has sold thousands of variants, including limited editions and oversized figures—one four-foot mint-green model sold in June for approximately one hundred seventy thousand US dollars.
The brand's blind-box format fuels rare-item appeal, driving resale values and consumer excitement.
Pop Mart operates over five hundred staffed outlets and more than two thousand “roboshops” globally, including over thirty staff-run stores in the United States, with an aggressive global rollout underway.
The company also revealed plans to release mini Labubu key-chain charms for phones in the near term.
Analysts have described Labubu as potentially the next global character franchise in the vein of Hello Kitty, noting its head-turning aesthetic, celebrity visibility, and social media popularity.
The character has outpaced Hello Kitty in global search interest and inspired cross-market presence across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Beyond core product lines such as Molly, Crybaby, and Skullpanda—all earning over one billion yuan each—Pop Mart is exploring animation and theme-park ventures to broaden brand engagement.
Labubu’s ascent illustrates a rising global appetite for collectible designer toys sold through blind-box surprise mechanisms.
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