Following an announcement from Pop Mart—a Chinese designer toy company known for its collectible figurines and blind box sales—that it would expand retail operations to the Indonesian market, business analysts predicted mere adequate growth for the brand.

However, when its first store finally launched in Jakarta on July 17th last year, it sparked a nationwide craze that turned shopping malls into hotspots for trend-driven enthusiasts, dedicated collectors, and opportunistic resellers.

Lines lasted for hours as buyers tried their luck snagging boxes containing Molly, the wide-eyed doll with whimsical expressions, Labubu, the mischievous-looking sharp-toothed creature, and other fan-favorite figurines.

Beyond the long queues and influx of influencer live streams on social media, the Pop Mart bonanza was more than just about figurines and hype. It demonstrated the power of branding in foreign markets, capitalizing on consumer behavior, and transforming a niche hobby into a full-blown phenomenon.

Gamifying Shopping: The Pop Mart Playbook

The success of Pop Mart in Indonesia has been nothing short of spectacular. China Daily reported that the brand’s overseas revenue grew by nearly 125% in the third quarter of 2024. The Southeast Asian sector itself emerged as the company’s fastest growing market, surpassing expectations by producing a remarkable 478.3% increase in the same year.

While it is easy to assume that demand grew unconventionally, the success of Pop Mart was fundamentally the result of deliberate corporate action that transformed it from a niche collectible brand into a popular sensation.

One of the strongest forces behind the brand’s growth was its rapid retail expansion across highly frequented shopping centers in Indonesia. 

Pop Mart curated immersive spaces designed to catch the eye of passersby with vibrant, tastefully arranged displays. These stores transformed the consumer experience of Pop Mart into something similar to attending an event instead of a shopping trip.

Store design aside, Pop Mart stood apart in the eyes of consumers by turning the act of shopping figurines itself into a game of chance.

The company achieved this via limited supply of its merchandise and cycled through small-scale releases, creating a sense of exclusivity for its products. This strategy kept hype levels high, ensuring consistent public interest and curiosity.

The blind box model took it a step further by adding an element of luck. Professor Tomoko Kawakami of Waseda University defined blind boxes as “products that consumers purchase without truly knowing the content of the item within the container itself.”

Buyers choose from a variety of boxes with each containing a figurine from a predetermined set, but the exact design remains a mystery until the box is opened. With that, the model encouraged bulk purchases and repeat visits for collectors to increase their chances of obtaining their target figurine. 

As a result, images of people buying dozens of blind boxes and the increasing number of influencers engaging in the “Labubu” craze turned social media into a rallying point for the Pop Mart phenomenon.

Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram were soon flooded with unboxing videos, trade hauls, and influencer showcases. What began as a niche collector hobby quickly became a mainstream trend, sweeping everyday social media users into a frenzy.

The “Labubu” hype made Pop Mart one of the hottest brands in the Indonesian cyberspace. Its products became the talk of netizens for weeks, which helped spread the sensation even beyond Indonesia.

To date, Pop Mart attained its peak in popularity with the help of a figure that soon became synonymous with the mainstream hype in Indonesia itself: Lisa BLACKPINK.

The Unexpected Endorsement

As one of the most beloved K-pop idols in Indonesia, Lisa’s Instagram post showcasing her personalized Labubu collection triggered her fans to flood Pop Mart stores—even though she was not officially affiliated with nor sponsored by the brand.

Stores quickly became packed, and queues stretched for hours. Reports of overwhelming demand fueled even greater interest, pulling more people into the Pop Mart frenzy.

As the Labubu trend intensified, resellers began bulk-buying blind boxes, driving up market prices. The inflated costs further cemented Pop Mart figurines as sought-after luxury items, shifting their perception from niche collectibles to must-have accessories akin to designer clothing.

This phenomenon highlights a key factor in the success of Pop Mart which is known as the bandwagon effect. When influential figures promote a product, people tend to adopt the behavior without much thought, assuming it to be the norm.

In the case of Pop Mart, Lisa’s informal endorsement acted as a catalyst for the brand, igniting a domino effect of Pop Mart figurine purchases as fans scrambled to own what their idols possessed.

The bandwagon effect has taken more notoriety as social media has reshaped the relationship between celebrities and their audiences, creating a more interactive and reciprocal dynamic.

As research by Professor Hichuang Cho of the National University of Singapore suggests, audiences nowadays tend to follow the posts and activities of celebrities on social media to “feel” a personal connection with them. 

With brands seeking ways to further their marketing scopes, brand ambassadors and sponsorship offers naturally emerged as a lucrative opportunity for both personalities and companies to form mutually beneficial relationships with each other.

Being Cultured: The Next Step For Future Businesses

The success Pop Mart attained in Indonesia highlighted the impact of corporate strategy and the ever-evolving nature of internet culture in shaping consumer behavior.

By blending scarcity-driven marketing, immersive retail experiences, and the viral thrill of social media, the brand transformed its figurines into a cultural obsession. Limited edition drops drive hype, with enthusiasts lining up for releases or scouring resale markets for rare finds. 

The rise of Pop Mart in Indonesia resembles a shift in public perception of niche cultures such as figurine collecting. The sense of exclusivity surrounding particular hobbies enables consumers to connect with those of similar interests.

More than just a story about collectibles, the Pop Mart boom symbolizes a shift in how brands engage with consumers. The businesses of today thrive on internet virality, social status, and the ever-present drive to be part of the “in-group” of the present. Social media pioneered the potential for transforming obscure details into a full-blown spectacle in a matter of hours.

The cycle of popular trends is nothing new, yet the rate at which it changes has only been accelerated with the advent of social media. For Pop Mart, it became a social phenomenon fueled by a mix of influence, exclusivity, and the innate human desire to belong.

The “Labubu” hype may eventually disappear among the sea of social media. However, the next viral product will soon take its place in the spotlight just as quickly, proving that in the digital age, the next big craze is always in the next box.