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Blind box toys and Jellycat plushies: China’s new spending craze

SCMP
11 Nov, 2024

The small toys offer a sense of excitement and social value, making them a rare bright spot in the country’s spending slump.

The Pop Mart phenomenon is thriving amid China’s spending downturn. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Pop Mart phenomenon is thriving amid China’s spending downturn. Photo: EPA-EFE
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What are blind box toys?

Answer this

What are blind box toys?

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Beijing-based Pop Mart, China’s leading blind box toy retailer, is a rare shopping bright spot amid the country’s spending gloom. It has millions of young fans who may not earn a lot of money. Still, they are generous spenders on small toys that offer them emotional and social value.

Products like blind box toys, fun accessories and decorative items have become popular for young people.

The blind box economy is based on the sale of products in packaging that hides the item’s appearance or specific design. It creates a sense of excitement for the buyer. They only discover what toy they bought when they open it.

Another popular shop is Jellycat. It is a UK-based plush toy brand that has become one of China’s most popular stuffed toy brands in recent years.

Despite its high prices, its stores are always crowded. Customers need to make an appointment in advance to enter. That high demand has even made scalpers profit by reselling the appointments.

Answer: toys with packaging that hides the item’s appearance

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