A girl looks at blind boxes in a Pop Mart store in Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFEBeijing-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.
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.
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.