Consumers browse Zootopia 2 co-branded merchandise inside the MINISO LAND section at a store in THE BOX shopping center in Beijing on December 1, 2025. Photo: VCG

As the Disney animation film Zootopia 2 hits the big screen in China, co-branded merchandise is rapidly gaining favor among domestic consumers, with items ranging from daily goods to plush toys selling at a brisk pace. Several retailers told the Global Times that multiple items have already sold out in stores.

Producers told the Global Times that Chinese toymakers have accelerated the rollout of new collaborations to meet surging demand. This reflected the strong spending power of China's young consumers, as well as the vibrancy of the Chinese IP market, an expert said. 

At some major malls in Beijing, Global Times reporters observed a steady stream of shoppers browsing related products, with several retailers reporting shortages of certain blind-box items amid strong demand.

At the China-based lifestyle goods retailer Green Party in Beijing's Chaoyang Joy City, salespeople told the Global Times that the store routinely introduced co-branded products tied to intellectual property (IP) favored by young consumers and children. Its latest collection spans water bottles, cross-body bags, stationery, hats and plush toys, all proving popular among shoppers. A nursing cap themed with Zootopia character Nick Wilde has emerged as the store's top seller. 

"Last weekend, the mall saw heavy foot traffic from moviegoers, with staff saying that more than 100 items could be sold within an hour," the salesperson said.

"I bought four character keychains," said 19-year-old Zhang Linhao after leaving the store, his backpack already covered with figures of the film's main characters. He said that the items, priced between 25 yuan ($3.53) and 40 yuan each, were "too cute to resist," adding that his favorite is the snake character, whose design he described as "funny and surprisingly expressive."

A representative of Chinese toymaker Pop Mart told the Global Times its Zootopia co-branded figurines have sold out in stores, and online channels are now restocking to meet demand.

The film's strong momentum and broad fan base have driven a significant increase in foot traffic to China-based lifestyle brand Miniso stores, particularly through themed pop-up displays and immersive merchandising that have drawn large numbers of young consumers and families.

Miniso introduced more than 100 new products across more than a dozen categories including collectibles, plush toys, and stationery, the company told the Global Times in a statement. 

The enthusiasm of Chinese consumers for IP merchandise is not a coincidence; it is also the result of Chinese companies' sharp market insight and their increasingly refined, consumer-oriented product development.

More than 60 consumer brands have formed partnerships with the Zootopia IP across categories such as dairy beverages, apparel and accessories, and designer toys, with many co-branded products selling out quickly upon release, according to media reports.

"Chinese consumers' appetite for IP-related products is rapidly expanding across scenarios and categories," Zhang Yi, CEO of the iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times. Zhang noted that this demand is powered by emotional resonance, the desire for personal expression and the growing appeal of immersive experiences that merge different consumer groups with varied consumption settings.

Zhang said that the trend is generating new opportunities across the supply chain, driving collaboration and innovation while extending the commercial life cycles of major IPs. By opening new consumption scenarios and broadening market boundaries, IP commercialization has become an increasingly important engine for retail sales growth in China.

He said that China's appeal for global IPs is anchored in its vast market scale, strong purchasing power and increasingly supportive business environment, reinforced by a unified digital payment ecosystem. The country's diverse consumer base, particularly younger groups shaped by interest- and emotion-driven spending, will continue to propel IP innovation. 

As of press time on Wednesday, Zootopia 2 had grossed more than 2.156 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland, with Wednesday's box office alone exceeding 52 million yuan and continuing to climb, data from box-office tracker Dengta's app showed.

Chinese consumers' demand for IP is expanding across scenarios and categories, driven by emotional resonance, practical use and broader cultural reach, Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. This trend is fueling new "IP-plus" business models and encouraging higher-quality domestic IPs, he said.

"China's vast market, opening-up policies and advanced digital ecosystem continue to attract global IP owners," Wang said. He noted future cooperation will hinge on deeper localization, immersive experiences and long-term partnerships that integrate innovation and social responsibility, enabling international IPs to tap China's growing cultural and commercial potential.