Pop Mart's The Monsters Have A Seat Series, which went viral after it was featured by Blackpink star Lisa.
Blind boxes have taken Asia by storm. A rising sub-category in the toy market, the term describes sealed mystery boxes containing randomised, often trendy, figurines, priced from $5 to $30 a box on average. German data firm Statista reported that in 2021, blind boxes overtook assembled toys to become the largest pop toy segment in China, with a market value of around 9.7 billion yuan . The report projected China’s pop toy sector to surpass 110 billion yuan by 2026.
Now that Singapore is a “mature market”, Pop Mart has set its sights on South-east Asia. The brand opened its first stores in Thailand and Malaysia in 2023, and in Vietnam and Indonesia in 2024. Her blind box obsession began with a Sanrio box, a farewell gift from an intern. After opening it, Ms Pang was hooked. She later visited a Pop Mart store in Taiwan and bought six boxes at one go, hoping to complete the series.
“This ‘reward uncertainty’ makes the experience positively engaging, and getting that item you want after multiple attempts creates positive reinforcement, further encouraging purchase. Some blind boxes include rare, limited-edition items in their set, which can also increase their appeal. Pop Mart’s main demographic of 25- to 35-year-olds is also the group that spends the most time online, and they generate organic interest by showing off their collections and unboxings on social media, Mr Lee adds.
“I remember I was so crazy after the first few unboxings that I went early before Pop Mart opened to check out the National Day $59 blind bags, and bought one for myself. I unboxed it on TikTok and it went viral, and that’s when people started calling me the Pop Mart girl.” Blind boxes and other toys provided comfort to consumers during the lockdowns, adds Mr Lee, who previously spent five years in the industry working at The Lego Group. “Blind boxes really took off in South-east Asia in the last two years. But I don’t think this trend has gone viral in the way it has this year.”
The surge in interest has had a trickle-down effect on Pop Mart’s other original characters. The company regularly talent-scouts and grooms emerging artists under its IP incubator called Pop Design Center, set up in 2017. It takes up to 15 months to go from designing to selling on the shop floor. Shoppers browsing and buying blind boxes at Co Play, a retail store that rents out stalls to independent resellers who mostly sell opened blind boxes. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
When The Straits Times visited Co Play on Aug 26, the Monday after the Pop Toy show, the place was packed mostly with tourists, some pulling luggage to carry their buys. One seller told ST that he has been renting the space for a year at $1,000 a month, and that he buys his wares from a mix of places including “online”.
The blind box phenomenon has also raised concerns that the surprise element promotes gambling and over-consumption. The series features three fairies in a punk band playing instruments – which resonated with Mr Loh. Within a month, he bought seven. Four turned out to be repeats, which he gave to his friends “so they could start collecting, and exchange with me when they get repeats”, he says impishly.
Mr Lee believes blind boxes are not just a fad. “The core of what we do is innovation. You have to keep innovating and keeping up-to-date with trends to sustain hype. You must know what consumers are looking for.”With his pointed ears and serrated teeth, this furry fiend is known by most as the viral Labubu, but he is actually part of a larger universe of creatures called The Monsters.