Due to the extreme queues, POP MART UK has had to temporarily stop sales, with some fans even claiming to have booked the day off work.
With their mischievous little potato faces, Labubu dolls have become the latest craze for toy-obsessed shoppers. Now POP MART UK has had to temporarily halt sales of one of their most popular collections due to safety concerns caused by intense queues.
In an Instagram post on May 19, POP MART UK wrote: “Due to the increasing demand for our beloved Labubus, we’ve seen a significant rise in customer turnout on restock days – with long queues forming outside our stores and Roboshops. To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone, we will temporarily pause all in-store and roboshop sales of THE MONSTERS plush toys until further notice.”
READ MORE: Labubu dolls are going viral – everything you need to know about the latest craze
Although they stated that customers would continue to receive online drops as usual and that they should check the schedule for new announcements to be sure to check back soon. They continued, “We’re working hard in the background to enhance the online and in-store shopping experience. I appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued support.
The Chinese toy company POP MART has its first European flagship store opening in London in 2022. Since then, it’s grown popular for collectors of collectible “designer” toys, including Labubus. They are all included in a line of “blind boxes” of furry dolls.
The toys have become popularised by YouTubers, social media influencers and celebrities – with Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Olivia Attwood being just some of the famous faces to have joined in on the trend. The hashtag ‘Labubu’ has over 1.4 million posts on TikTok. Over 2024, The Monsters IP (which includes Labubu) generated 3 billion yuan (£311,187,000), as reported by Time Magazine.
Then in April, Labubu released their Big Into Energy series, which completely sold out worldwide within a week. They are still available to buy from POP MART. It became the biggest collectibles release ever on resale platform StockX, with an average resale price of $208 (£155). That’s a 24 per cent increase when compared with its original retail price of $168 (£125), as reported by Vogue Business .
Unsurprisingly, Brits have been quick to pick up what’s been dubbed as “Labubu fever”. Queues for the toys have gone viral. On May 16, Birmingham Live reported dozens of fans queuing for eight hours outside the Bullring Pop Mart store.
However, their popularity has now sunk in favor of them. Fans of Labubu dolls in the UK have quickly expressed their shock at the new announcement. “No stop it!!! I wanted to go this Friday even though I didn’t have a single Labubu; I even booked a day off work only to read this. One commenter wrote, “I’m so depressed right now.”
“I’m gutted!!! I’m going to London this weekend, so I had to order some labubu! Looks like I won’t be getting any (sad face),” another wrote. A third user asked, “How’s it gotten out of hand, makes no sense I just wanted a Labubu.”
Some even have been attempting to get one when they wake up at dawn. My sister said she would go tomorrow morning at 5:30, and get all three generations, but I’m so saddened, a user wrote. “Omg no.”
However, other TikTok players have blamed this kind of behavior on the pause in sales. One person claimed that “one of the issues is people lining up at 5am.” There are long lines before the stores even begin.
Source: Mirror
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