Pop Mart launches mini Labubu to boost sales

Pop Mart’s founder, Wang Ning, has teased the launch of a mini version of its popular blind box character, Labubu, which is expected to become the next super bestseller.

Speaking at the company’s 2025 half-year performance announcement on Tuesday (19 August), Wang said the mini version of Labubu would be launched during the same week, which might be suitable for a broader range of scenarios. "Previously, people might have hung it on their bags, but starting next week, they may even be able to hang it on their mobile phones,” he said.

This follows the toy company's progress toward its revenue goal of HK$22 billion for 2025, with Wang stating during the results announcement that "RMB$30 billion (HK$36 billion) this year should also be quite easy," according to Reuters and Ming Pao.

Wang said that while Labubu is a world-class intellectual property (IP), its value exploration has only just begun. Pop Mart is maintaining relative restraint in product development to avoid over-exhausting the IP. It will not aggressively open new stores, expecting a net increase of no more than 10 stores in mainland China this year. 

Instead of increasing the number of stores, Wang said the focus will be on optimising the performance of each existing store, hoping that the market will pay more attention to the health indicators of the group's growth rather than just the performance data.

In terms of overseas markets, Wang said that there is considerable potential for growth, adding that combined sales from North America and Asia Pacific this year are expected to equal China's sales in 2024. In the US, where Pop Mart operates around 40 stores, Wang revealed plans for a "relatively rapid expansion" in the coming year or two, with an additional 10 stores expected to open by the end of this year.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Pop Mart for more information. 

Don’t miss: Pop Mart reportedly launches film studio for Labubu animated series production

Back in June, Pop Mart reportedly launched a film studio to create an animated series featuring its popular blind box character, Labubu, as part of its content expansion strategy.

The company has registered the copyright for the script of Season 1 of the animated series "Labubu與朋友們" this year, according to Chinese media outlets Cover News (封面新聞) and National Business Daily (每日經濟新聞). The registration date is 18 March, and the work was completed on 15 January.

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