“Can I have a Labubu – pleassssse, mum?” This is all I hear day in, day out from my young children. Call these gremlin keychain dolls that adults actually hang off their Miu Miu and Birkin bags ugly or cute – even demonic, as is claimed by conspiracy theorists on TikTok – I don’t care. All I know is I can’t get my hands on one.
That’s because they are a global sensation – and demand is so high they sell out in seconds. Pop Mart, the Chinese company behind the Labubu doll, reported this week that it expects at least a 350 per cent increase in profit for the first six months of 2025, as revenues more than tripled, no doubt helped by the fact Labubus became a popular fashion accessory earlier this year among celebrities including Dua Lipa and Rihanna – before trickling down to the rest of us.
