LOVE 'em or hate 'em, unless you've been living under a rock, it's impossible to escape the Labubu craze.
The "creepy-cute" dolls (or just plain ugly, depending on who you ask) have been around since 2015 but recently experienced a surge in popularity thanks to a host of celebrity endorsements.
As with all things popular, scalpers and resellers have been quick to hop on the bandwagon to make a quick buck. Even more concerning than that is reports of physical fights breaking out over Labubu dolls.
It is claimed that such brawls got so out of hand that the dolls had to be temporarily pulled from UK stores. Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
The Labubu character, brainchild of Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung, has always had a quiet but loyal following but made its mainstream breakthrough after Blackpink's Lisa was spotted with one.
Since then, other superstars such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa have been seen with the quirky bag charms, cementing Labubu's place in the pop culture hall of fame.
For those who are not in the know, the dolls are sold in blind boxes, meaning one will not know the specific design they are getting until they actually open the package. This has led to harmless shenanigans such as rattling or weighing the box to try to identify which design is inside, or even community elements such as trading Labubus.
Unfortunately, the craze, combined with the blind box "gambling" element, has also birthed more unsavoury elements. For example, rarer Labubus are resold for multiple times their retail price, sometimes reaching up to hundreds or even thousands of ringgit for a single doll.
Recently, reports of brawls and safety concerns due to surging demand have forced Pop Mart, the producer of the toys, to temporarily pull Labubu from UK stores.
Chaotic scenes of long queues and customers fighting to get the popular dolls regularly go viral on social media. One TikTok video from user @victoriamarie02x captured people in balaclavas at a Pop Mart location in Westfield. "Don’t risk your life for a Labubu," read the caption.
In another TikTok, Mal Nicol, known for her participation in the reality show "Love Island", revealed that she got into a fight with another customer at a London branch over the plushies.
"This woman, she bought five. It’s actually ridiculous," Nicol said in her video.
According to the BBC, Pop Mart said it is working on "a new release mechanism that is better structured and more equitable for everyone involved" before the dolls return to physical stores in the UK.
References:
https://www.tiktok.com/@victoriamarie02x/video/7506079948826840342 https://www.tiktok.com/@itvnews/video/7507650076462959894 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgvwvvlnv3o https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/23/business/labubu-uk-sales-fights-intl-scli-gbr
