Surge in Demand for Stuffed Animals: Uncovering the Popularity of the Viral Labubu Brand from China
The Labubu collectible craze, which surged in popularity in 2024-2025, has captured the attention of collectors and fashion enthusiasts worldwide. Boosted significantly by celebrity endorsements from figures such as Blackpink’s Lisa, Rihanna, and Dua Lipa, Labubu dolls have become a prominent collectible and fashion accessory globally.
However, expert and cultural opinions suggest that the hype surrounding Labubu may peak soon and potentially decline by mid to late 2026. This assessment is based on market observations and comparisons to similar past fads, such as the 1990s Beanie Babies.
Some economic factors also play a crucial role in the Labubu trend. As a collectible and "recession artefact," if the economy worsens, casual collectors may lose interest, and the market could become flooded, causing the bubble to burst. Additionally, the phenomenon of limited-edition "drop" releases intensifies the risk of counterfeit products and market saturation, which can accelerate the decline in hype.
Despite these concerns, the Labubu trend continues to grow. Popmart, the company behind the Labubus, has seen significant profits from the trend, with the plush figures being popular on social media and many "Unboxing" videos. In 2024, the company doubled its earnings to 13.04 billion Yuan, or approximately 1.45 billion Euro, with the Labubus plush toys accounting for 22% of these earnings.
Popmart is expanding the Labubu trend to more countries, including Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the UK). Last week, the first Popmart store opened in Germany in the Alexa shopping center in Berlin, with a line several hundred meters long on the store opening day. In the coming months, Popmart plans to open two more stores in Berlin alone.
Popmart also plans to venture into new product lines, such as Labubu shoes and Labubu clothing, and the virtual-reality market, offering Labubu games playable on VR glasses. However, the timeline for the hype around Labubus to end is uncertain, with some people wanting to buy the figures cheaply to resell them online for a higher price.
As the Labubu trend continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how long the hype will last. Some people have been influenced by the internet trend to buy a Labubu, with one woman interviewed by "Der Spiegel" stating, "So I just had to have one." However, with the presence of other trends and the limited human attention, the hype around Labubus may soon diminish.
- What could potentially impact the rising popularity of Labubu collectibles and fashion accessories, despite their significant market success and expansion, is the uncertain timeline of the hype around them as other trends emerge and compete for human attention.
- Amid the increasing demand for Labubu products in the global market, especially with the company's entry into Europe and plans to launch new product lines and VR games, concerns over a potential decline in hype persist, mainly due to economic factors such as market saturation and the risk of counterfeit products.
