Did you hear about the Labubu dolls?, Did you know that these dolls added $1.6 Billion in company's wealth in a single day?

Wang Ning founded Pop Mart in 2015, in Beijing, initially operating as a trendy variety store, before he later secured rights to distribute Japan’s Sonny Angel figurines, sparking interest in designer toys, in 2015

​

The company came in the limelight when its famous Labubu dolls, captivated consumers and propelled the company's market performance.
​

Did you know that Popmart Introduced something called "MEGA" series, with some items priced as high as $1,500, targeting adult collectors?

Unique Value of this Unicorn:

1. Emotional Collectibility Meets Affordable Luxury: He sold emotional attachment, The blind box format activated dopamine loops, every time a customer opened a box.
2. Mass Personalisation without Customization: The randomness of blind boxes, meant every customer journey was unique, the illusion of personalisation without expensive custom manufacturing.
3. Physical Meets Digital: By combining retail stores, vending machines (Roboshops), online stores, and digital channels, they built multiple customer touchpoints.

​

2 Major Triggers for Overnight Success:

1. Ownership of IP, Not Just Distribution: Unlike many toymakers who rely on licensing other IPs, Pop Mart heavily invested in creating its own original characters (Molly, Labubu, Dimoo). This gave them pricing power, creative control, and much higher profit margins.
2. Community as a Product: Pop Mart fans became collectors, traders, and promoters.
3. Celebrity Endorsements: Figures like Rihanna and Lisa from Blackpink spotted with Pop Mart toys, skyrocketed brand visibility.

Financial Milestones:

• 2020: Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising $676 million with a market capitalisation of $7 billion.
• 2022–2024: Aggressive international expansion, opening stores in the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia.
• 2024-2025: Hit a revenue of $1.8 Billion, a 106.9% year-on-year increase.
• 2025: Over 500 stores and 2,472 roboshops worldwide, with plans for further expansion.
  ​

Did you know that 39% of total revenue for Popmart comes from global sales?

5 Strategies Popmart Used to build a $39.5 Billion Toy Empire

1. Developing Product IP: Pop Mart shifted from being a reseller to owning original IP like Molly, Labubu, Dimoo, and others; hence they took full control of margins, pricing, licensing, and brand equity.​
   Business Strategy: The sooner you control IP, the less vulnerable you are to vendor pricing, platform fees, or licensing challenges later.
   ​
2. Crack User Demand: Pop Mart’s Blind Box Model creates regulated scarcity and repeated purchasing behavior. Collectors never know what figure they’ll get, triggering repeat purchases to complete the set.​
   Business Strategy: Scarcity can be designed, even in physical goods, to drive high-frequency repeat purchases.
   ​
3. Scalable GTM: Instead of costly flagship stores, Pop Mart placed smart vending machines in malls, train stations, airports, and campuses, these are the locations with high foot traffic and minimal overhead.​
   Business Strategy: Distribution doesn't always have to mean high CapEx. Micro-distribution spots can create massive surface area with better data feedback loops.
   ​
4. Community Engagement: Pop Mart built a huge social community where fans discuss collections, trade rare items, attend pop-up events, and post massive unboxing hauls online. ​
   Business Strategy: If your product can become a social identity, your customers will market for you at scale automatically.
   ​
5. Global Partnerships: Pop Mart designed new releases to feel like cultural events, limited drops, collabs with niche artists, global pop-up stores, and influencer placements created buzz before inventory even landed.​
   Business Strategy: Product Launches should feel like events, not catalog updates. Tease drops, cultivate pre-launch hype, and create public proof of demand.