Blind boxes: Is cute here to stay?

SINGAPORE – Labubu and other cute things continued to hold the world by the throat in 2025. 

A man in Australia was charged in October with

stealing 43 Labubu dolls

worth over $7,500. 

Earlier in June, the launch of snack-themed Labubu dolls in Singapore

drew a queue of about 160 fans

at retailer Pop Mart’s Ion Orchard store, with some arriving before dawn.

Labubu was China’s

most globally influential online pop culture intellectual property

in the past year, according to a report released in November by Beijing-based think-tank Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies.

Other items on that list include animated blockbuster movie

Ne Zha 2 (2025)

in third place, which grossed more than US$2 billion (S$2.58 billion) at the global box office. Historical drama film

Dead To Rights

was No. 2.

Labubu might also be headed to the big screen. Sony Pictures – the film studio behind the Jumanji franchise (1995 to present) and animated smash hit

KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

– has acquired screen rights to the furry monster doll, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Details have not been released. 

There are signs that the blind box bubble will burst sooner rather than later. In September, the stock of owner brand Pop Mart – which originated in China –

slumped by nearly 9 per cent

on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index. Despite this, it remained a top performer. 

But even if Labubu

tumbles from its reign

over pop culture, it is clear that the appetite for all things cute remains high.

The global keychain pendant market is projected to be worth more than US$28 billion by 2033, up from less than US$18 billion in 2023, according to India-based market research firm Spherical Insights.

Smiski blind boxes and Jellycat plush toys continue to fly off shelves and trend on social media. Sales of Monchhichi, a Japanese brand of stuffed animals with monkey bodies, more than doubled to 4.6 billion yen (S$39.9 million) in the year ending February 2025, according to its brand owner Sekiguchi. 

Overseas sales grew faster than domestic sales, leading the company to increase its manufacturing capacity in China. 

But most memorably for 2025, even non-toy brands, many in F&B,

jumped on the blind box bandwagon

.

Milo, Kit-Kat, KFC, Magnolia Ice-Cream, Old Town White Coffee and Genki Sushi were among the food and beverage companies releasing their own limited-edition versions of plushie blind boxes, leading to customer frenzy. 

KFC’s Mofusand keychains were resold by scalpers

for as much as $50 on Carousell on the first day of promotion, while many people bought heaps of Milo cartons and bags just to score a kaya toast or Milo tin soft toy.

No one can predict how long the craze for blind boxes will last. But, given the sheer volume available in the market, it is safe to say: Cute is here to stay.