A trend with teeth: the dangers of Labubu mania

Walking down Barrington Street, the colourful Yolo Craft sign is hard to miss. The craft and gift store has become a popular spot for shoppers to find one of summer’s hottest trends — Labubus. 

The fluffy, monster-like doll has become a global phenomenon, spotted on the bags of celebrities like Dua Lipa and Rihanna. The intrigue of these collectibles goes beyond celebrity influence; it’s the excitement of their blind box packaging that draws consumers in. TikTok videos of people unboxing Labubus have set off a viral sensation. 

“I kept seeing them everywhere on TikTok. After a while, I knew I needed one,” says Zoe Carlisle, an Acadia University student. 

Labubus are most commonly sold on Pop Mart, a Chinese-based store, but Carlisle bought hers at Yolo Craft. 

“I really wanted the pink one, which I ended up getting, and it truly does give you a thrill,” says Carlisle. 

Amy MacQuarrie, an assistant psychology professor at the University of New Brunswick, did her thesis on internet gaming disorder. She says Labubu blind boxes are comparable to “video game loot boxes.”

“It’s this idea that you are paying real money for a chance to receive something in a video game that you can only use in the video,” says MacQuarrie. “Some of these rewards might have a 0.01 per cent chance of dropping from a loot box.”

The bright pink Labubu named “Heart,” has a 1/168 chance of being pulled by a customer, according to USA Today.

“This is making gambling-like mechanics accessible and normalized to young people, which can become dangerous, ” MacQuarrie says. 

North America holds 25 per cent of the global blind box market, according to a report by Global Growth Insights. Canada accounts for 20 per cent of regional sales, while the U.S. makes up 70 per cent of the market. 

For some, the appeal has nothing to do with blind boxes. 

Pyper Hayes, a Halifax resident, doesn’t care what Labubu she pulls; she just likes the way they look.

“I thought they were really funny and kind of cool, but I definitely think that blind boxes have become a huge trend,” Hayes says. “The challenge of trying to collect them all and the risk of buying repeats is a form of marketing people are really receptive to.” 

While the blind boxes are designed to keep consumers coming back for more, Carlisle says the marketing tactic hasn’t worked on her yet.

“I’m content with just the one right now, which might be due to me pulling the one I wanted.” 

MacQuarrie says that the blind box model can become dangerous, especially for young children who see the trend online. 

“The more young people exposed to this, the more at risk they are of developing a gambling disorder in the future.”