BERLIN (dpa): The huge popularity of Labubu soft toys in Germany caused a fresh surge of fans of the creatures on Monday, this time at Berlin's famous Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) department store.
A long queue formed in front of KaDeWe in the morning to enter a new outlet of Chinese retailer Pop Mart, which makes the cuddly monsters with big eyes and pointed teeth.
In July, there was a rush at Germany's first Labubu store in the Alexa shopping centre on the city's east side.
Hundreds of people waited with umbrellas and camping chairs outside of that mall on the city's Alexanderplatz, some having travelled from as far away as Bavaria.
The queue at KaDeWe wasn't quite as long, perhaps due to the end of the school holidays, with mainly adults waiting in line to snag a Labubu figure for their children.
Many influencers were also present, including one woman in a pink suit that matched the pink Labubu in her arms. Others also brought their toys to KaDeWe for the new opening.
Cute and ugly at the same time, the furry toys have become a global phenomenon.
The trend is being fuelled by influencers on TikTok and Instagram, who film themselves unpacking the surprise boxes.
Labubus have long been popular in China, where collectors flock to shops and carefully shake the boxes to guess which character might be inside.
Pop Mart, founded in 2010, says it plans to open a total of three locations in Berlin. - dpa
