Labu Toys Packaging is seen on August 21, 2025 in a souvenir store in Cracko, Poland.
Jakub porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty images
Even Confucius is happening on China’s “blind box” craze.
In the main temple in Beijing for China’s greatest sage, the souvenirs sell a series of “blind box”, packed in such a way that buyers do not know what kind of object they are buying, until they are committed.
A popular blind box on the store is an ice cream treatment with a blessing from Confucius. Worses pay $ 4.50 and, only after opening the dessert, read whether they are a top student or luck for a magnificent future.
The mania on the mystery box is offering its own versions in the economy with everyone from travel agents to supermarkets. Alibaba Group’s travel services platform, fligous, a goal journey to Japan is offering “blind box” flight tickets, where travelers select a Chinese departure city and are assigned one of several options for dates and destinations.
Beijing based Pop mart Has been at the forefront of this incident. It is the company behind Labubu, which is a monster doll like Elf made by Hong Kong Dutch artist Cassing Lung. Labubu toys are sold specially through collectable company, Large -scale profitsAnd they are sold in the same “blind box” format that can just encourage repeat purchases to get the right one.
A 23-year-old student, Ruan U, says she spends $ 55 per month on blind boxes-and enjoy gambling. Ruan has 150 Labubu and other dolls from mystery packaging.
“The moment you open the box if it is a version you want or a limited version, you get very excited,” he said. “And this is something I can tolerate.”
Prices for Labubus and other characters were sold on pop mart average from $ 9 to $ 30.
The Labubu Luxury figures are for sale at a pop mart brand store in China on July 10, 2025.
Johannes Nudekar | Picture alliance | Getty images
Blind boxes in China, or “manga”, increased popularity in China during epidemic. Pop Mart livestream toys and sold them at a time in online and vending machines when the Chinese population was in constant threat to the Covid lockdown.
Young Chinese consumers were feeling below due to epidemic control and slow economy, turning into budget-friendly splatter for a pick-up. Buyers can trade toys or earn the rights to batch if they were lucky enough to score a rare version distinguished by their peers.
Chinese retailer minisoWhich is listed on the New York Stock Exchange provides blind boxes of watches, adhesive tape, stationery and ballpoint pens.
Retail staff miniso Told CNBC that the curiosity inside assures customers to try their luck and eventually to buy.
However, the Chinese government has warned against “irrational consumption” and blind box “addiction” through its state media.
In June, People’s Daily specially called for strict rules of trend for children. Quoting experts, the official state newspaper reported that the practice was a “commercial trap” that accurately targets the psychological weaknesses of minors. “
