In recent months, the unique Labubu plush toy—of which there are more than 300 models—has become widely popular. The monster figurine was made more than five years ago, and because of Rihanna, Dua Lipa, David Beckham, and other celebrities, it has become a fashion accessory, and people are waiting in line in London, Shanghai, and Berlin to get their hands on it.The brand has also become popular in Ukraine: you can even buy the toys near Hoverla, and on Rozetka, its sales in May increased 133 times compared to April, and in June – by another 400%. Customs officers uncovered a large batch of counterfeit Labubu toys in Zakarpattia.

How did Labubu mania begin, how much does the manufacturing company earn from it, and how are the toys sold in Ukraine?

Where did Labubu come from?

Labubu https://znaki.fm/teams/labubu/ are fluffy little elves with tall, pointed ears, crooked teeth, and enigmatic smiles. The idea behind Pop Mart, the company that introduced them to the market, is that “they are all female, friendly, but sometimes get into trouble.”

Although the toys gained worldwide popularity in 2024-2025, their prototype was drawn by artist Kashing Lung in 2015. Born in Hong Kong, Lung spent his childhood in the Netherlands. There, he was inspired by Scandinavian mythology and created the Labubus, which initially became characters in a series of children’s books.

He came up with a simple “legend” for them: Labubus are forest elves that have existed for millions of years, at least since the time of the dinosaurs, and they are all female. As the artist explains, the word “labubu” has no meaning.

In 2019, Lung entered into a partnership agreement with Chinese toy retailer Pop Mart to transform the elves from book characters into collectible designer figurines and accessories, granting the company exclusive rights to manufacture and sell them.

This is how plush toys with vinyl faces and pointed ears, large eyes, and a playful smile showing nine teeth appeared.

The first models were released in The Monsters series. The company later released several more popular series: Have A Seat, Big Into Energy, and Exciting Macaron. Each has different models. The brand has other characters from its universe: Zimomo, Tycoco, and Mokoko.

Labubu is sold by whom?

Pop Mart, the company that manufactures and sells Labubu, was founded in 2010 by 23-year-old Wang Ning. While studying advertising at a local university, he discovered his talent for retail by selling accessories to his classmates.

The first toy store opened in the “blind box” format. The business grew: a year later, another store was opened, and in 2016, an online platform was launched. The company regularly collaborated with artists to develop various toys and figurines, but the real jackpot was the deal with Lung for Labubu.

The new toys were successfully launched on the Chinese market. A year later, Pop Mart went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a valuation of $6.9 billion. Pop Mart now operates more than 2,000 vending machines and over 500 stores worldwide. Amid the hype surrounding Labubu, the company’s shares have risen more than 500% over the past year.