What: Pop Mart has opened its first Middle Eastern store at Hamad International Airport in partnership with Qatar Duty Free, introducing exclusive collectibles and experiential retail.

Why it is important: Pop Mart’s entry signals a broader trend of cross-industry collaboration and innovative marketing strategies in the region’s retail sector.

Pop Mart has launched its inaugural Middle Eastern store at Hamad International Airport, collaborating with Qatar Duty Free to create a retail experience that merges pop culture with travel. The store’s opening was marked by a travel-themed fashion show and the debut of an exclusive collection, the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Wonderful Journey Series,’ which includes travel accessories and limited-edition collectibles. This initiative reflects a growing emphasis on experiential retail, with Pop Mart leveraging influencer marketing and immersive events to engage travelers and local consumers alike. The partnership aims to set a new benchmark for airport retail by blending Qatar’s cultural identity with Pop Mart’s playful brand, offering a unique and memorable shopping experience. The launch follows Pop Mart’s earlier Middle Eastern debut in Abu Dhabi and capitalises on the brand’s rising popularity, particularly among younger, digitally connected shoppers. This move underscores the increasing importance of exclusive products, localised experiences, and cross-industry collaborations in shaping the future of travel and regional retail.

IADS Notes:  Pop Mart’s Middle East expansion, as outlined in Inside Retail’s Asian Retail Outlook 2025 (February 2025), exemplifies the globalisation of Asian brands and the adoption of experiential, pop-up, and exclusive retail formats. The strategy aligns with trends highlighted by Inside Retail and LUXUS PLUS in early 2025, where brands use immersive, culturally integrated events to drive engagement. The success of Pop Mart’s Labubu collectibles in Europe, reported by Cominmag.ch in June 2025, and the broader shift toward experience-centric airport retail, as analysed by The Robin Report in January 2025, further illustrate how this launch reflects and accelerates the evolution of global retail.

Pop Mart opens first store in the Middle East