Latest news with #Crybaby
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Shanghai police bust million-yuan Labubu doll scam disguised in a secret warehouse
In a dramatic twist that could rival a Netflix crime drama, Shanghai police have busted a major counterfeiting ring churning out fake Labubu plushies and trendy Crybaby figurines. These were not your run-of-the-mill knockoffs, they were 1:1 replicas marketed as premium toys but sold at a cheeky 60–70 percent of the original price. Fake Labubu dolls? Not on Shanghai's watch! Operating under the guise of an electronics and appliance store selling electric fans, speakers, and gaming consoles, the gang was secretly running a plushie piracy operation. Customers thought they were snagging genuine trendy toys, but in reality, they were hugging high-quality fakes. A warehouse beneath the company office was stacked with over 5,000 partially and fully packaged knockoffs, all mimicking trademarked designer products. Tip-off triggers toy bust The operation came crashing down in March 2025 when a popular toy brand based in Xuhui district raised a red flag. A consumer flagged a suspiciously off toy bought online, prompting an authentication process that confirmed the item was not produced by any licensed manufacturer. That was all the cops needed to launch a full-scale investigation. Meet Wang, the Labubu pirate king Investigators traced the shady e-store back to a man surnamed Wang, who appeared to sell electronics but was, in fact, the ringleader of the counterfeit toy empire. After gathering hard evidence, police raided his home and company on 4 July, arresting Wang and seven other suspects. Turns out, Wang and his crew had been running the scheme since November 2024, lured by the exploding demand for designer toys like Labubu. They would buy real toys, reverse-engineer them into near-perfect copies, ship the components separately, and assemble everything in-house for resale. Police estimate their sales topped 12 million yuan ($1.67 million). The crackdown is far from over The main suspect is now in criminal detention for selling counterfeit trademarked goods, while the other seven face legal constraints. Authorities have confirmed all toys were counterfeit through sampling and testing. Investigations are ongoing into the manufacturers and other online sellers tangled in the counterfeit toy web.
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Giant Crybaby installations take over Festival Walk, with a Pop Mart pop-up store
Among the toy keychains that have taken over hearts and social media feeds recently, Crybaby has always been a particularly cute brand, with endearing characters that are instantly recognisable from the tears on their faces. This summer, these weeping cuties are taking over Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong with multiple giant installations. Themed after a playground, eight oversized blind box characters from Crybaby's Crying For Love series are dotted around the main atrium of the mall for fans to admire and take photos with. The centrepiece is the giant Love You Cherry Much figures, sitting side by side in their cherry outfits above a red-and-white ball pit. Other cute installations include the angel and devil Kiss Kiss characters pouting towards each other in a smooch, a Stupid Cupid heart-shaped swing set, and a translucent red box housing a Heart Broken Crybaby. It's not all just photo ops, as Pop Mart also brings a pop-up store to this event, with plenty of goodies to keep all collectors and shoppers satisfied. Aside from products from the Crying For Love series – like the gift box containing the angel and heart plushies, an adorable straw cup, and vinyl plush hanging dolls – this pop-up also stocks Crybaby's other lines, such as the animal-themed Wild but Cutie series, the tutu-wearing Shiny Shiny series, their Powerpuff Girls collab, as well as scented candles and fragrances. If there's an out-of-stock product on the Pop Mart website you have your eye on, it's worth checking out this event to try your luck. There will also be plenty of other merch from Pop Mart's most popular characters, including Molly, Dimoo, Pucky, and more (no Labubus, though). Don't leave without snapping some selfies at the Crybaby photo booth with Crying For Love photo frames. During the pop-up event, visitors can also register as My Festival members for free and use their bonus points to redeem Crybaby stickers or a Crybaby Playground single-use film camera. Crybaby Playground will be at Festival Walk from July 25 to August 31.
CNBC
16-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Chinese toymaker Pop Mart shares slide despite strong earnings forecast
Shares in Pop Mart International tumbled over 6% on Wednesday after the toymaker issued a bullish first-half earnings forecast. The Beijing-headquartered company is behind the global craze around Labubu, a toothy, pointy-eared monster-like character. The toymaker sells its dolls in a blind box to buyers who don't know what character is inside until they open it, with prices ranging from about 59 yuan to 5,999 yuan. In a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday, Pop Mart said it expects at least a 350% increase in profit and at least a 200% increase in revenue for the first six months of 2025 from the same period last year. The negative stock reaction may be a reflection of investors' conservative outlook on Pop Mart's sales growth, Jeff Zhang, an equity analyst at Morningstar, told CNBC on Wednesday. "Despite stellar earnings growth in H1, it may have peaked and will likely see slowdown starting in H2," he added, saying it may have prompted many investors to take profits. Zhang maintained his view that Pop Mart's shares have been "overvalued," as the high level of uncertainty over the popularity of its major intellectual properties was not fully priced in. In the filing Tuesday, the company attributed its robust profit forecast to the greater global recognition of its brand and intellectual properties — referring to signature toy characters such as Labubu, Molly and Crybaby — and diversified product portfolios, as well as a growing portion of overseas sales. It also benefited from a substantial increase in profits driven by the economies of scale, cost optimization and tighter expense controls, the company said. Buoyed by the runaway success of Labubu figurines, Pop Mart's Hong Kong-listed shares have been on tear this year. Despite the latest tumble Wednesday, its share prices have nearly tripled year to date, trading at 247 Hong Kong dollars ($31.5) at 11:43 p.m. ET. The stock suffered a brief setback last month after an editorial from Chinese state media took aim at businesses enticing young children to spend excessively on "blind cards" and "mystery boxes," a model central to Pop Mart's appeal. Investors have largely shrugged off fears of a regulatory crackdown on Pop Mart, which counts Gen Zers and millennials, rather than young children, as main consumer demographic. But despite the latest pullback in share prices, many investment banks held on to their bullish calls for Pop Mart to remain one of the hottest consumer brands in China this year. In the first quarter of this year, the toymaker's revenue rose 170% from a year earlier, buoyed by a nearly 480% surge in overseas markets and about 100% revenue growth at home. The latest profit forecast was "slightly above the capital market's already-high expectation," analysts at Nomura Bank said in a note Tuesday, underscoring the "continued acceleration of sales growth." The investment bank lifted its target price for Pop Mart to 330 Hong Kong dollars from 291 Hong Kong dollars, keeping the stock as its "preferred pick in the China consumer space." Pop Mart's soaring popularity has been a stark contrast to the broader economic downturn in China which has led consumers to become more frugal and scale back on spending. A human-sized Labubu was sold for $150,000 at an auction in Beijing last month. "When optimism about long-term financial prospects fades, people shift from investing in the future, [buying] homes, cars, to seeking momentary emotional rewards," said Ivy Yang, founder of Wavelet Strategy, New York-based consultancy. "Each collector [is] projecting their own mood or story onto the toy. This is why Pop Mart differs from Sanrio or Miniso," Yang added, referring to the Japanese toymaker behind Hello Kitty and a Chinese retailer for consumer goods such as cosmetics, stationery and toys featuring IP design.
Pink Villa
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
BTS' V goofily dodges saying he ‘missed ARMY' during live, playlist with Justin Bieber and SZA songs has fans praising ‘good taste'
July 14 turned into a back-to-back celebration for BTS fans. Jimin and Jungkook kicked off the day with a surprise Weverse live from Los Angeles. Moments later, V (Kim Taehyung) popped up with his own short but sweet livestream. While Jimin and Jungkook brought chaos and candid chatter, V gave fans his signature charm in a solo moment that had ARMYs swooning. V logs on with just 3% battery V 's live was unexpectedly brief, and for a reason: his phone was on the verge of dying. He mentioned with a laugh that his phone battery was down to just 3 percent. But even in those few minutes, he managed to pack in goofiness, charm, and a sprinkle of mischief. Classic Taehyung! He told fans the members weren't working on music that day, so he used the free time to work out and meet up with friends in LA. BTS members are currently staying there for a two-month creative session. V's sunglasses trick and cheeky 'miss ARMY' tease One of the cutest moments during the live came when V jerked his head to slide his sunglasses from his forehead down to his eyes. When they landed perfectly, he flashed a mischievous grin. He cheekily showed off his front teeth, melting ARMYs instantly. In true V fashion, he playfully refused to confess he missed fans outright. In his words, 'ARMY? How can I say I missed ARMY? That too, so directly. Ehey~ I can't~ I can't.' He teased with a playful pout, making the moment even more endearing. V's chill playlist for the day Before his phone gave out, V also shared a quick peek into the songs he's been listening to lately. He turned the live into a mini music session: DAISIES – Justin Bieber Alesis – Crybaby – SZA Are You Even Real – Teddy Swims & GIVEON Tread Carefully – SZA The mellow, R&B-infused lineup felt very Taehyung-coded, giving fans a glimpse into his current mood. Even with just 3% battery, V delivered 100% of his charm. And ARMYs are loving every second of this content-filled day. BTS in LA, album in the works BTS members are currently in Los Angeles, spending two months working on their next chapter. The group has previously confirmed that their comeback album is scheduled for Spring 2026.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Labubu Mania Fuels Pop Mart's 1,828% Sales Boom on TikTok Shop U.S.
The Labubu mania is not slowing down. The little monster toy has helped Pop Mart's sales on TikTok Shop U.S. grow from $429,259 in May 2024 to $4.8 million in May 2025, according to data from Partial sales numbers from June indicate that the Chinese toy company has reached a new high on the platform, selling more than $5.5 million last month — a 1,828 percent increase from June 2024 to June 2025. The data also reveals that Pop Mart's revenue from the TikTok Shop U.S. in 2025 has already surpassed its total for the entire 2024 year by more than four times, with sales of $21.3 million on the platform so far in 2025. More from WWD Louis Vuitton Puts Luxury Novelty Bags Back on the Radar With $10,000 Lifebuoy Purse Is the Labubu Effect Coming for Beauty Next? Australia's Aidan Luggage Brand Takes on the U.S. According to a platform that specializes in providing detailed analytics and insights for businesses and influencers, Pop Mart's TikTok Shop U.S. revenue growth had notable surges from October 2024 onward, with the most significant jumps in April and May 2025. By April 2025, Pop Mart accounted for 0.55 percent of all TikTok Shop U.S. sales. Labubu appeared in 2015 as a character in 'The Monsters' storybook and made its leap to collectible toy four years later, thanks to China's Pop Mart. The company has other toy characters available for sale, including Skullpand, Crybaby, Hirono, Kubo and more. Labubu, however, has become a viral sensation with fashionistas and celebrities pairing the toy with their luxury bags and stylish outfits. More recently, designer Marc Jacobs and June Ambrose were spotted with their own Labubus. 'Labubu has become more than just a collectible; it's a bold statement of individual style,' Emily Brough, Pop Mart's head of IP licensing, the Americas, previously told WWD. The global collectibles company has launched more than 300 styles of Labubu since 2019, including collaborations with Coca-Cola and Uniqlo. View Gallery Launch Gallery: Labubu Street Style Wave: How the Viral Charms Are Styled as Accessories, Photos Best of WWD 'Project Runway' Winners: Where Are They Now? Superfake Rolexes Are Getting Smarter: How to Spot Counterfeit Timepieces in the Luxury Watch Market Stores Closing in the U.S. in 2025: Joann, Kohl's, JCPenney and More Companies Facing Financial Challenges
