Viral Labubu craze is coming to S.F.'s Union Square with new Pop Mart store. Here's when
The store at 200 Powell St. will be the massively popular retailer's second in the city. A location in Stonestown Galleria draws lines every week for new product releases.
Thanks in part to social media and word of mouth, Labubu doll sales have boomed. The fluffy, rabbit-eared monsters have been called both 'ugly and cute.'
Pop Mart regularly releases new themed dolls and many are sold in 'blind boxes' with a range of possible dolls, including rare ones, which can sell for hundreds of dollars. Stonestown landlord Brookfield Properties confirmed two recent fights at Pop Mart amid crowding at the store. 'Our security deescalated the situations,' a spokesperson said, adding that Brookfield works with tenants to 'help control the line and ensure a peaceful environment.'
Pop Mart also sells branded toys from popular franchises including 'Harry Potter' and Disney. The Beijing-based company's sales doubled in 2014 to over 13 billion yuan ($1.8 billion).
The San Francisco Standard first reported the store opening.
Emily Bough, Pop Mart's head of intellectual property licensing, said last month that the Stonestown location 'has seen strong foot traffic, often with lines forming for key product drops and popular collections.'
Pop Mart builds on an Asian retail wave filling San Francisco's empty storefronts. Nintendo opened in May at the nearby Westin St. Francis, drawing lines for its Switch 2 release.
Pop Mart also has a store in Westfield Valley Fair.
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