"Of course. Labubu isn't just a creepy-cute stuffed rabbit-demon-elf-bear. Labubu sat front row at Milan Fashion Week. Tourists lined up at the Louvre to buy a Labubu from the pop-up store. Lady Gaga dressed as Labubu in concert. Madonna served Labubu cake at her birthday. When Labubu sold out in London once, customers started a brawl. In Thailand, where Labubu is the government's official tourism ambassador, trendy partygoers buy Labubu-shaped ecstasy pills. Even knockoff Labubus, called Lafufus, have their own devoted fans."
"Here in China, I've got an additional option: I can scan a QR code and join a dedicated WeChat group. Mine is called "Pop Mart Beijing First Store Group No. 35." I do some quick, dispiriting math. My group is capped at 200 members. Assuming 34 other groups filled up first, at least 7,000 eager fans are looking to buy a Labubu."
Two shoppers at Pop Mart's first Beijing store encounter empty displays and are directed to fan-group chats for restock alerts. Labubu has become a global cultural phenomenon with appearances at Milan Fashion Week, Louvre pop-ups, and celebrity events involving Lady Gaga and Madonna. The brand's popularity has sparked clashes, themed drugs, and a market for knockoffs called Lafufus. Fans monitor social feeds and join WeChat groups—often capped at 200 members—to receive rapid restock notifications. With more than 400 Pop Mart stores in China, concentrated demand forces fans to act extremely quickly when restocks are announced.
Read at WIRED
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