Pop Mart just dropped financial results that reveal the staggering power of viral toys in 2025. The Chinese company's Labubu plush monsters generated $670 million in the first half of this year alone—a 688% surge that puts the ugly-cute creatures on track to become a billion-dollar business by December.
Pop Mart just proved that a $10 plush toy can reshape entire market categories. The Hong Kong-listed Chinese company reported that its Monsters series—anchored by the breakout Labubu character—generated approximately $670 million in revenue during the first six months of 2025, according to financial results released this week.
The numbers are staggering by any measure. That 688% year-over-year surge doesn't just represent rapid growth—it puts Labubu on pace to eclipse sales of Mattel stalwarts like Barbie and Hot Wheels, brands that have dominated toy aisles for decades. If the trajectory holds, Pop Mart will cross the $1 billion threshold for its Monsters line before 2025 ends.
The phenomenon traces back to an unexpected catalyst: BLACKPINK member Lisa's public confession of her Labubu obsession sent shockwaves through social media and collectible markets worldwide. What started as a K-pop star's quirky hobby transformed into a global cultural moment as celebrities including Cher, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Marc Jacobs were photographed sporting the mythologically-inspired creatures as luxury accessories.
"These ten-year-old characters have now become as popular an accessory as a Telfar bag in 2020, and they're just as hard to get your hands on," TechCrunch reporter Amanda Silberling noted in breaking the story.
The scarcity isn't accidental. Pop Mart's "blind box" strategy—where buyers don't know which variant they're purchasing—creates the same psychological hooks that drive sneaker drops and limited-edition releases. The mystery element transforms routine toy purchases into gambling-adjacent experiences, with rare variants commanding premium prices on secondary markets.
