What: Pop Mart’s Labubu character is entering the luxury market through high-profile collaborations, celebrity endorsements, and premium product launches.

Why it is important: Pop Mart’s rapid growth and diversification highlight the importance of innovation and emotional connection in today’s competitive retail landscape.

Pop Mart’s Labubu character is making a significant leap into the luxury sector, propelled by strategic collaborations with established brands like Moynat and high-profile endorsements from figures such as Bernard Arnault. The brand’s move into premium jewelry, exemplified by the launch of an 18-karat rose gold Labubu necklace, demonstrates a deliberate effort to elevate its image and tap into new consumer segments. Labubu’s presence at major events, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and collaborations with Fanatics Collectibles and Uniqlo, underscores the brand’s ability to blend collectible culture with mainstream retail. This approach has resulted in remarkable revenue growth, with The Monsters range contributing $673 million in the first half of 2025, driven by innovative product lines and licensing deals. Pop Mart’s founder, Wang Ning, highlights the surging demand and ongoing production expansion, while interest from global film studios signals further diversification. The brand’s strategy reflects a broader trend in retail, where emotional connection, exclusivity, and experiential engagement are key drivers of sustained success. 

IADS Notes: Pop Mart’s luxury collaborations and Labubu’s elevation into high-end jewelry mirror the industry’s shift toward creative partnerships and experiential retail, as seen with LVMH’s digital engagement and influencer strategies (“LVMH Pivots To Engage Younger Demographics In Asia,” Retail News Asia, October 2025). Bernard Arnault’s endorsement echoes the impact of celebrity-driven campaigns at Galeries Lafayette (“Galeries Lafayette partners with famous French journalist and influencer,” Fashion Network, August 2025). The integration of collectible culture into mainstream retail aligns with Manor’s Labubu events (“Manor creates the buzz thanks to Labubu dolls,”Cominmag.ch, June 2025) and Macy’s holiday activations (“Macy’s and Disney unveil holiday collection,” Press Release, October 2025; “Macy’s kicks off ‘100 Days to Christmas’ with new merchandise, curated gift ideas,” Retail Dive, September 2025). Pop Mart’s rapid growth and diversification are consistent with trends in China’s evolving pop-up retail scene (“China turns 'slow pop-ups' into new retail laboratories,” LUXUS PLUS, January 2025) and Asia’s innovative activations (“Inside the latest pop-up activations in Asia,” Inside Retail, February 2025), where emotional connection and community-building are central to brand expansion.

Pop Mart goes luxe with $2,000 Labubu gold necklace