LABUBU Doll Craze, Offline Sales Halted Due to Safety Concerns
The craze for the Chinese character doll ‘LABUBU’ has led to the suspension of offline sales in South Korea due to safety concerns in stores.
LABUBU is a character doll released by the Chinese toy company 'Pop Mart', known for its fluffy fur, perky ears resembling a rabbit, nine sharp teeth, and a humorous expression that has garnered widespread affection.
This doll is sold in a 'random box' format, where buyers cannot know which design of the doll they will receive until they open the box, enhancing its rarity and collectability.
Luxury Grade Accessories Chosen by Celebrities
The LABUBU doll's popularity surged as global celebrities like BLACKPINK's Lisa and Rosé, along with global pop star Rihanna, were seen accessorizing their luxury handbags with these dolls.
As a result, it has gained a status comparable to 'luxury accessories', with some rare models trading at prices exceeding ten times their original retail price.
Limited edition trading platform ‘CREAM’ recently announced that LABUBU transactions in June increased by 121% compared to the previous month and a staggering 7711% compared to the same period last year.
In particular, the ‘LABUBU X Pronounce Fantasy Wing Doll’, a collaboration with a fashion brand, has a retail price of 128,000 KRW but has been resold for over 1.3 million KRW on the CREAM platform, proving its explosive popularity.
At an auction held in China, a limited edition LABUBU doll measuring 131 cm was sold for 1.08 million yuan (about 20 million KRW).
Decision to Halt Offline Sales Due to Safety Concerns
However, this overwhelming popularity has resulted in 'open-run' phenomena, causing crowded stores and safety issues.
In response, Pop Mart Korea recently released an official statement saying, "Due to concerns over safety incidents at offline sales locations, we have decided to temporarily halt the offline sales of all LABUBU series, prioritizing customer safety."
Pop Mart Korea added, "We will do our utmost to provide an even more satisfactory service, and we deeply apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."
However, there has been no specific mention regarding the continuation of online sales or the schedule for resuming offline sales, drawing the attention of LABUBU collectors.
Image sources: youtube 'vanity fair', instagram 'roses_are_rosie', pop mart japan
