An Argentine fan shows an art toy character "Labubu" ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group J football match between Argentina and Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City, June 16(local time). AFP-Yonhap
Chinese toymaker Pop Mart recorded its first year-on-year decline in domestic online sales since 2024 in May, raising fresh questions about the sustainability of demand for its intellectual property (IP) portfolio, including its blockbuster Labubu character.
Domestic online sales fell 5 percent from a year earlier and 14 percent from April, according to Moojing e-commerce data tracking transactions across Tmall, Taobao and Douyin. Sales were also 25 percent below the average monthly level recorded in the second half of last year.
"This confirms our earlier prediction of mounting sales pressure in Pop Mart's domestic market from the second quarter of 2026 onwards," said Deutsche Bank analyst Sammi Xu. "We believe this pressure could intensify in the second half of the year, driven by a higher comparison base and waning IP popularity in China."
Shares of the Hong Kong-listed company fell 2 percent to close at HK$171.30 on Wednesday.
