People visit the new POP MART store in Cambridge, UK, during its opening on April 26, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of POP MART

The Chinese toy company POP MART has captured global attention with the recent opening of new stores in the US and the UK, drawing long queues. A Chinese expert noted that this trend underscores the growing international appeal and expanding global footprint of Chinese self-developed toy brands, despite global trade headwinds.

At the launch of its new store in Utah, the brand attracted hundreds of enthusiastic  customers, many of whom queued well before opening hours to get their hands on limited-edition toys prized for their unique design and collectability.

On China's social media platform RedNote, a US-based user Meili Jianguo expressed amazement at the Utah store's popularity, noting that the line extended approximately 50 meters on opening day.

Another American netizen, Brianna Garcia, posted a video describing how she saw a crowd "all the way outside the mall" when she arrived at 12:30 pm, and a web user on her post revealed that the queue had already started at 6:30 am in the morning.

Photos of POP MART's character toys - particularly the popular furry dolls of Labubu - also flooded social media. "Aren't they adorable?" one user shared a photo of her private collection showcasing an entire shelf of Labubu figures, a collectible toy of the POP MART that has sparked buying frenzies the world over, as the CNN reported.

Labubu is one of POP MART's most popular intellectual properties, created by Hong Kong artist and POP MART's signed creator Kasing Lung. The character was inspired by forest elves from Nordic folklore, according to media reports.

Global buzz

Following the release of the new Labubu series on Friday, a fresh wave of palm-sized collectible toys has generated significant global buzz, according to media reports. Typically sold in mystery boxes, the figures quickly sold out online shortly after becoming available.

A fan base is also growing in the US, though American buyers are paying more for their purchases amid ongoing trade tensions between China and the US, CNN reported. 

A blind box from the latest series, which also went on sale in the US on Friday, is priced at $27.99, up from $21.99 for the previous series. Shortly after their release on Friday, some pendants were being resold for up to $90 on US online resell platform StockX, the report said.

On the same day of the new store opening in Utah, POP MART launched another outlet in Cambridge, UK, marking its latest milestone in the country after previous openings on London's Oxford Street and in Manchester.

A POP MART representative told the Global Times that many customers visited the Cambridge store specifically to make purchases, with long lines forming quickly. One customer said she had been looking forward to POP MART's arrival for weeks. To make sure she got the product she wanted, she and her friends got up at 6 am to arrive early.

According to the company's representative, the release of the Labubu 3.0 series has continued to fuel a global buying frenzy. Long queues have also been formed at POP MART stores in cities including Los Angeles, London, Milan, and Harajuku in Japan.

The long queue at the Chinese toy stores has also captured the attention of some foreign media marveled by the toy brand's success.

Adult shoppers queued for hours in London on Saturday to get their hands on the latest must have gadget - a toy from China, Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

The scramble to get the dolls led the POP MART shopping app to become the most downloaded free shopping app in Apple's app store in the US last Friday, Forbes reported, citing data from Sensor Tower, a San Francisco-based analytics and market intelligence platform. Celebrities known to collect Labubu also include Lisa of South Korean girl group Blackpink, who posts pictures of her dolls on social media, the report noted.

The New York Times even used the headline "How These Little Elves Turned Into a Global Sensation," looking into the frenzy that the Chinese toy brand caused abroad.

The success of POP MART has been somewhat recession-proof, according to Bloomberg, with its stock and profits rallying despite global economic uncertainty and trade war concerns.

Morgan Stanley noted that POP MART's plush products have become the company's most important growth catalyst due to their "fashion practicality." With the company's rapid expansion in the US and Southeast Asia, sales are expected to increase by another 47 percent in 2025, it projected.

Visibility of Chinese toy brands 

POP MART is not alone in its push for global expansion in the toy industry. Chinese toy companies are placing growing emphasis on building brand influence overseas. According to China News Service, brands such as TOP TOY and 52TOYS have opened flagship stores in multiple countries, while others like Ciaoka are increasing their international visibility through trade shows and partnerships with local retail outlets.

China has long served as a global hub for toy manufacturing, producing about 70 percent of the world's toys. As domestic branding gains momentum in the industry, the share of toy exports under original Chinese brands through general trade has steadily increased, accounting for 65.51 percent of the country's total toy export value last year, according to the report.

The swift global expansion of Chinese toy brands like POP MART highlights growing international recognition and competitiveness of China's original brands. Despite increasing trade complexities, high-quality, self-developed products with exclusive IP continue to gain market traction, Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday. He noted that these products benefit from greater pricing flexibility and increasing popularity, as shown by strong foot traffic and long queues. 

More Chinese toy brands are likely to expand overseas, inspired by the success of those already establishing a presence on the global stage, Bai said.