Hit toy shop Pop Mart famed for Labubus to open at Trafford Centre
The shop has gone viral thanks to its collectable toys and the wildly successful Labubu furry monsters that see customers queuing out the door
Cult toy and collectables store Pop Mart is to open its first Trafford Centre store - and it's set to spark huge interest among fans of the brand.
The Chinese retailer has become a hit with its collectible "designer" toys like the coveted Labubu dolls which have been a viral sensation across social media.
There is already a Market Street store in Manchester, where long queues have traditionally formed on "restock" days - when sold out products go back into store.
However, the company earlier this week announced it was pausing in-store sales of the monster dolls to ensure the "safety and comfort" of shoppers.
It's not yet known when the Labubu dolls will be back in store, but they're sure to be a key feature of the Trafford Centre outlet in some way or another when it launches this summer.
The exact date of opening has not yet been revealed by shopping centre bosses.
But the colourful hoardings have now gone up for the shop site, on the lower Regent Crescent section of the mall, near to the huge new JD sports store set to open in June.
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said: “We can confirm that POPMART will be coming to Trafford Centre this summer.
"The arrival of POPMART is a fantastic addition to our retail offering at the centre and reflects our commitment to bringing popular, in-demand brands to Trafford Centre.”
The mischievious/terrifying Labubu dolls have gained major traction in recent weeks and months, not least thanks to celebs like Kim Kardashian and Olivia Attwood attaching them to their handbags.
Demand for the creepy dolls have sparked long queues outside of Pop Mart and Robo Shop stores in the UK.
Popmart UK took to social media platform Instagram on Monday, May 19, to share a notice that in-store sales would be paused.
They wrote: "Important Notice: All Popmart UK Stores and Robo Shops will pause the sale of the monsters plush toys until further notice."
The caption reads: "Due to the increasing demand for our beloved Labubus, we’ve seen a significant rise in customer turnout on restock days — with long queues forming outside our stores and Roboshops.
"To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone, we will temporarily pause all in-store and roboshop sales of THE MONSTERS plush toys until further notice."
They went on to explain that they will be sharing updates on their social media and that online drops will continue as normal.
The statement closed with: "We’re working hard behind the scenes to improve the shopping experience both in-store and online.
"Thank you for your continued support, patience, and understanding."
Labubu was created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung in 2015 as part of his "The Monsters" series, inspired by Nordic folklore.
Monster Labubus have fluffy, rounded body, pointy ears, and a haunting grin showcasing nine sharp teeth.
The strange character gained mainstream attention after a 2019 collaboration with Pop Mart, which introduced the character to a broader market through collectable "blind" boxes - where part of the appeal is opening it up to see exactly what you've got inside.