UK Have Officially Lost the Plot — POP MART Halts Labubu In-Store Sales

I didn’t want to believe it. I really didn’t. But it’s true — Labubu mania has officially spiraled out of control in the UK, and POP MART has had to temporarily pause all in-store sales of the wildly popular toy. Like… what are we doing, people?!

I get it. I love Labubu. I am Labubu. But the way some fans (and let’s be honest, probably some resellers too) have been behaving? I am ashamed as a human being. POP MART posted a very polite and diplomatic announcement on Instagram (bless Peter Shipman for trying to keep it classy), but let’s be real — this is a mess.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen overwhelming enthusiasm from fans, with long queues forming outside stores — in some cases, even the night before. While this speaks to the love and excitement surrounding Labubu and THE MONSTERS, it's important for us to ensure a safe, fair, and comfortable shopping experience for everyone — both our customers and our store teams.🔍 We’re currently working on a new approach for the distribution that will allow everyone a fairer chance to purchase.🗓️ Details about the launch dates and how to register will be announced soon on our social media channels and Discord server.Thank you for your continued passion and support for POP MART 💛- Peter Shipman, Head of Europe

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ_0WkGqm2P/?hl=en

Let’s unpack that. People have been camping outside stores overnight. For Labubu. Yes, they are cute., but this isn’t a PS5 launch in 2020. This isn’t Black Friday. This is a collectible toy — and somehow, it’s sparked total chaos.

POP MART has 16 locations across the UK, including those adorable vending machine-style Roboshops — and yet, it's gotten so bad they had to just pull the plug on in-person drops. A major hit for fans who genuinely just want to enjoy the hobby without battling full-on mob scenes.

And sure, POP MART says online drops will continue, but let’s be honest — those are a bloodbath too. Bots, crashes, blink-and-you-miss-it restocks. We know how that story goes.

TikTok is flooded with videos showing massive, snaking lines at POP MART stores — especially during new launches. There’s even footage from the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham, showing a line that literally wraps around the building, complete with barricades to keep the crowd in check. I've seen testimonals where people are fighting, FIGHTING!

So now, we’re all sitting here waiting. POP MART is “working on a new approach for the distribution,” whatever that means. People are throwing ideas into the comments like it's a town hall meeting:

• Limit it to one per person
• Increase supply (duh)
• Use a lottery or ticketing system
• Bring back honor and decency to humanity (maybe a stretch)

The saddest part? This was predictable. Labubu fever has been spreading fast from Asia to the West — this isn't new. Everyone knew the hype would be insane, but somehow, there’s still no solid plan in place.

I’m just exhausted. I love this community. I love these toys. But seeing how some fans and opportunists have acted? It’s embarrassing. We could’ve had nice things. Instead, here we are — grounded by POP MART because some of us couldn’t behave in the toy store.

Let’s hope their new approach brings some peace back to Labubu land. Until then, good luck surviving the online drops. You're gonna need it.