LABUBU just sold out a fridge in seconds. That alone tells you where the IP economy in China is heading.
LABUBU just sold out a fridge in seconds. That alone tells you where the IP economy in China is heading.
LABUBU just sold out a fridge in seconds. That alone tells you where the IP economy in China is heading.
Pop Mart recently launched its first home appliance under the THE MONSTERS Living Home Series — a 121L LABUBU refrigerator priced at 5,999 RMB. Only 1,998 units were released globally, and it sold out almost instantly across all official channels.
But this isn’t really about a fridge.
It’s about how a character IP has evolved into a full lifestyle product system. LABUBU started as a collectible figure, moved into blind boxes, then into fashion and accessories — and now into functional home appliances. The product itself blends utility with identity: it stores drinks, but it also signals taste, belonging, and fandom.
The resale market reaction says even more. Prices initially surged to 2–3x retail, with extreme listings far higher, before stabilizing within 24 hours. This kind of spike-and-correct pattern reflects a highly liquid, sentiment-driven IP market where demand is driven as much by cultural relevance as by product value.
From a strategy perspective, this is a clear extension of Pop Mart’s “IP as core asset” approach. By pushing LABUBU into categories like refrigerators, and soon kettles, coffee machines, and breakfast makers, they are effectively increasing both the lifespan and monetization surface of a single character.
For brands looking at China, this is the key shift: IP is no longer just content or merchandise. It’s becoming infrastructure for product innovation.
LABUBU isn’t just a toy anymore. It’s a platform.
