First, grinning Labubu dolls. Now, a TV show and theme parkPop Mart, maker of the wildly popular toys, wants to be China's DisneyBEFORE THE craze for Labubus, few had heard of Pop Mart, the Chinese toy-maker behind the mischievously grinning dolls. With customers across the world now lining up to get their hands on one, the company, which saw its sales rocket by 245% year on year in the quarter from July to September, has investors rapt.在拉布布熱潮席捲之前,鮮少有人聽過泡泡瑪特——這個製造出咧嘴壞笑玩偶的中國潮玩品牌。如今全球消費者為搶購新品排起長隊,其第三季度銷售額同比暴增245%的業績更讓投資者為之傾倒。Seemingly overnight, Pop Mart has become the world's most valuable listed toy-maker; its market capitalisation, at $38bn, is more than three times that of Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty, and nearly seven times that of Mattel, the American maker of Barbie dolls. Its stores have popped up in nearly 40 countries. Around two-fifths of its sales are made overseas, mainly in rich countries, challenging assumptions about Chinese consumer brands' inability to break into these markets. How much bigger can Pop Mart get?這家突然躍升為全球市值最高(380億美元)的上市玩具公司,市值已是Hello Kitty母公司日本三麗鷗的3倍、芭比製造商美泰的7倍。其門店已遍佈近40國,約四成收入來自海外(主要發達國家),打破了"中國消費品牌難攻高端市場"的成見。泡泡瑪特能走多遠?A growing number of investors worry that Pop Mart's extraordinary ascent will soon come to an end. Shares in the company, which is listed in Hong Kong, are down by a third from their peak in August. One reason for pessimism is the sagging resale price of Labubus, which could be seen as a sign of flagging demand. New dolls are sold in "blind boxes"; buyers do not know which character they will get until they open up the package. Collectors seeking out rare versions have been willing to pay eye-watering prices to get their hands on them. The second-hand price of Chestnut Cocoa, a scarce creature with fluffy brown fur, hit 1,500 yuan ($210) in June--but has more recently tumbled to 780 yuan.但投資者擔憂其高增長即將見頂。港股股價較8月峰值跌去三分之一,拉布布二手價格滑坡更引發需求質疑。盲盒銷售模式(消費者拆封前不知具體款式)曾催生狂熱收藏市場,尋找稀有版本的收藏家們願意支付令人瞠目的價格來得到它們。稀有款"栗子可可"6月二手價達1500元,但近期已腰斬至780元。This is mainly owing to surging supply rather than shrinking demand, however. For months Pop Mart stores have not had enough dolls to go around. Shoppers have been asked to scan QR codes and join a digital queue that could last weeks. Although this has helped add to the hype around the toys, it was primarily the result of manufacturing shortfalls hat constrained the company's ability to cash in on the surging popularity of Labubus. Entrepreneurial types began stocking up on the figurines and selling them at wildly inflated prices. A thriving market for fake Labubus--called "Lafufus"--also sprung up.不過這主要源於供應激增而非需求萎縮。此前產能不足導致缺貨,顧客需要掃描二維碼並線上上排隊數周。雖然這為拉布布增加了熱度,但生產能力不足限制了公司的變現能力。黃牛囤貨與山寨"拉富富"橫行推高溢價。In response, the company has been boosting production. By the end of the year it will have grown its manufacturing capacity ten-fold compared with January, reckons HSBC, a bank. Increased supply is already hitting the secondary market, pushing down prices for older generations of Labubus. Yet new releases are said to sell out almost instantly, suggesting demand remains feverish.為此,公司提升了產能。匯豐銀行估計,年底產能將提升十倍。產能提升會壓低老一代拉布布的價格,但新品仍秒罄印證需求堅挺。The bigger question surrounding Pop Mart is whether it can expand beyond the dolls. Labubus, which were created by a Hong Kong artist in 2015, began to soar in popularity only when a K-pop star was seen with one in April last year. The company is busily trying to create its next hit toy. As of mid-September it had launched 29 new products in 2025, only a fifth of which were Labubus. Newcomers include Skullpanda, a distinctly cuter line of characters.真正的考驗在於能否突破單一IP依賴。2015年由香港設計師創作的拉布布,直到去年4月因韓星帶貨才爆紅。公司正加速孵化新IP,今年前9月推出的29款新品中僅1/5為拉布布,更萌系的骷髏貓熊等新角色開始登場。Pop Mart also has its sights set on becoming more than just a toy-maker. Disney, America's entertainment juggernaut, has demonstrated the power of franchises that span merchandise, films and in-person experiences. Other companies, including Mattel, which turned Barbie into a box-office hit in 2023, have proved that popular toys can be used as the starting point for such franchises.更深層的野心是複製迪士尼的泛娛樂模式,迪士尼,美國的娛樂巨頭,已經展示了跨越商品、電影和線下體驗的特許經營權的力量。美泰借《芭比》電影證明玩具IP可延展為票房奇蹟。Pop Mart is experimenting with this. Pop Land, a theme park it opened in Beijing in 2023, lets visitors interact with characters including Labubus. It may open more. The company also has plans to launch a Labubu animated series, and in June it established its own film studio. So far, Pop Mart's ability to make money from more than just selling toys has been limited. Less than a tenth of its revenue comes from licensing, reckons Jeff Zhang of Morningstar, a research firm. But that share will probably rise as the company invests in developing its franchises.泡泡瑪特亦在2023年開設北京泡泡樂園主題公園,計畫推出動畫劇集並成立影業公司。但目前其授權收入佔比仍不足一成(晨星證券資料),IP生態建構剛起步。但隨著公司加大對旗下特許經營權的開發投入,這一比例可能會上升。 (The economist每日閱讀)