Pop Mart’s viral Labubu collectibles have fueled explosive growth on TikTok Shop with a livestream-led sales strategy and strong collector demand. Here's what you need to know:
- Pop Mart’s TikTok Shop sales surged 1,000% year-over-year, reaching $4.8M in April alone, while overall TikTok Shop sales grew just 107%.
- About 85% of Pop Mart’s June TikTok Shop sales came from livestreams, while most other brands on the platform generate the majority of their sales from pre-recorded videos.
- With just 1,300 creators vs. the 5,000+ typical for leading brands, Pop Mart’s small creator base is unusually efficient at generating high sales.
- Considering whether Labubu is here to stay or a passing fad, Charm.io CEO Alex Nisenzon says, "If anything, I expect that it will continue growing, and from what I can tell, it seems like there’s more and more interest in this.”
- The craze is boosted by K-pop fandoms, blind-box trends, and “kidult” culture, turning Labubu into a collector sensation with staying power.
Is Labubu creating the new blueprint for social commerce success?
Pop Mart isn’t just following TikTok trends; it’s rewriting the playbook with new strategies that are driving sales.
Over the past year, its U.S. sales on TikTok Shop have consistently outpaced TikTok’s overall platform growth. Here’s what makes this phenomenon so compelling:
- 🎥 Marathon Livestreams: Pop Mart runs hours-long livestreams that attract thousands of viewers, even without guaranteed Labubu drops.
- 🔥 No Pushy Tactics Needed: Shoppers aren’t being pushed to purchase, they’re showing up organically because the demand is real.
- 🤝 Culture-Driven Commerce: From K-pop to unboxing, subcultures have lined up perfectly to create fandom-powered commerce.
- 🧠 Selling Smarter, Not Louder: The formula? Direct engagement + strong product appeal = unmatched sales performance.
Is Labubu just a viral hit? Or are we looking at the future of social selling? 👀
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