POP MART has been taking over the world with its LABUBU toys, from Southeast Asia to the United States, Europe and now, the Middle East. With the release of the “Big Into Energy” series, available since late April, LABUBU has taken the UAE by storm. The South China Morning Post reported that Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have shown the most interest in the toy among the emirates.
There have also been reports of people queuing outside the stores in Dubai, but they were still unable to get the rare models of the MONSTER. Currently, there hasn’t been any report of violence like in the UK. UAE merchants are reportedly taking advantage of the boom by creating LABUBU cakes and LABUBU ice cream for parties. Even florists are making huge LABUBU flower installations across the country.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, the SCMP also reports that there was a surge in interest towards LABUBU in Saudi Arabia last month, mostly from Riyadh province, the Eastern province and Mecca.
POP MART recently saw its share prices skyrocket and its market value surpass traditional IP giants like Sanrio and Bandai Namco. This perhaps marks POP MART as one of the leading IP companies, a transformation it has long sought. With its plans to reach 230 stores outside Mainland China, POP MART’s ambitious expansion plan is to grow 80% abroad. Coupled with the quick growth POP MART has been experiencing overseas, the company is fast becoming a “truly global company”.