China’s Pop Mart has announced it will release a mini version of its popular Labubu plush toys this month, along with a new long-fur version of the toothy little monster.
The Labubu, by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung, first appeared with pointed ears and pointy teeth, in three picture books inspired by Nordic mythology in 2015.
In 2019, Lung struck a deal with Pop Mart, a company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers, to sell Labubu figurines. But it wasn’t until Pop Mart started selling Labubu plush toys on key rings in 2023 that the toothy monsters suddenly seemed to be everywhere.
Pop Mart said on Friday that the mini-sized Labubu vinyl plush pendant, which is part of The Monsters Pin For Love series, will be available in various colours corresponding to letters of the alphabet. They will retail for US$22.99 each.
The series also includes 30 letter pendant blind boxes, each with a unique pattern and a Monsters charm. They will be priced at $18.99 a piece.
In addition, Pop Mart is launching the Rock the Universe vinyl plush doll, which is part of The Monsters Big Into Energy Series.
The plush, which will have a pearl-and-alloy heart necklace, will be the first of the Monsters to have long fur and uses a specialised dyeing technique that ensures no two figures are exactly alike. The dolls will cost $114.99 each.
All of the new products will be available from August 29 on Pop Mart’s website, either for in-store pickup or shipping.
They will also be available on the company’s app and its official TikTok accounts.
Labubu has been a bonanza for Pop Mart. Its revenue more than doubled in 2024 to 13.04 billion yuan ($1.81 billion), thanks in part to its elvish monster. Revenue from Pop Mart’s plush toys soared more than 1,200 per cent in 2024, nearly 22 per cent of its overall revenue, according to the company’s annual report.
Earlier this week, Pop Mart reported that its profit attributable to shareholders skyrocketed almost 400 per cent for the first six months of the year. Revenue jumped more than 200 per cent to 13.88 billion yuan ($1.93 billion). Revenue for the Asia Pacific region surged more than 250 per cent, while revenue for the Americas soared more than 1,000 per cent.
