POP MART’s global flagship store, located in Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, Shanghai, displayed the series of hand-made blind boxes of “Nezha’s Devil Children Naughting the Sea”, which attracted many consumers. Wang Chushe (People’s Vision)Hope for the future 美少女 フィギュア 販売 It can achieve rapid and stable development and serve social development and people’s needs well. https://figuresuki.com/
A consumer in Beijing took a photo with his cotton doll for a spring outing. Song Lingyun
In recent years, fashion toys have become the new favorite of young people. From blind box collection to IP joint name, Chaowan attracts many fans with its unique design and interesting interaction.
The data shows that the scale of the domestic tide play market continues to grow, and there are over 50,000 tide play economy-related enterprises in operation and existence. It is estimated that by 2026, the total value of the tide play industry will climb to 110.1 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of over 20%.
Small toys, why “hard control” consumers?
From niche to mass market
On the weekend, a trendy shop in Beijing Chaoyang Joy City was crowded, and many young people shuttled through it to choose their favorite toys. Wu Yunjie, who works in Beijing, was one of them. “When I first dismantled the hidden money, I was so excited that I almost jumped up!” She told reporters, “I first came into contact with the blind box when I was in college, and I was deeply attracted by the unknown surprises inside. Now that I’m working, every time I pass by the Chaowan store, I still can’t help but go in and smoke a few. ” Wu Yunjie admits that the attraction of the blind box lies in the “unknown sense of surprise”, “the unit price is tens of yuan to 100 yuan, which can not only bear but also satisfy the desire to collect”.
After 00, Xiao You, a college student, is keen on “eating cereal” and collecting BJD dolls. Every month, she spends part of her living expenses to buy the office and the surrounding area. “I think these hand-made dolls are not only commodities, but also carry my love and feelings for anime characters.” Xiaoyou showed photos of her elaborately arranged display cabinet, which contained the role of “Tomorrow’s Ark” and the BJD doll that she spent 1,000 yuan to customize makeup. She also often uploads her “baby-raising” experience on social software. “Every time I see them, it’s like seeing my’ partner’, and this kind of emotional companionship is irreplaceable.”
Chaowan has gradually moved from niche interest to popular market.
In the field of fashion, “bag hanging” has become a new way for young people to show their individuality. “Changing a bag is like changing a new bag, which can easily match different styles of clothes.” Liu Lisha, a girl from Shenzhen, is well versed in collocation. She told reporters that it has been a fire for a while to decorate different bags with tide play bags. She especially likes POP MART’s LABUBUBU series bags. She has collected a variety of LABUBUBU with different shapes, and will choose different bags to match according to seasons and occasions. “Labubu’s shape is very cute, and there are many limited editions and hidden models, which is particularly rewarding to collect.”
From these consumers, it is not difficult to see the fiery tide of consumption.
According to the data of Tianyancha Professional Edition, there are currently more than 50,000 tide-playing economy-related enterprises in the country. Among them, about 3,100 newly registered related enterprises will be registered in 2025. From the perspective of regional distribution, Guangdong province ranks first with more than 9,200 enterprises related to the tide play economy, accounting for 18.3% of the total number of enterprises in the country; Followed by Henan Province, Fujian Province, Shandong Province and Hainan Province. In 2024, Chaowan head brand POP MART achieved revenue of 13.04 billion yuan, breaking through 10 billion yuan for the first time, up 106.9% year-on-year. Among them, China’s mainland revenue was 7.97 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 52.3%.
”The head brand is innovative, integrating traditional culture and fashion elements, so that Chaowan has both collection and ornamental value.” Dong Chao, director of the Institute of Circulation and Consumption of the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, said that Chaowan not only meets the aesthetic needs of young people, but also enriches the form of the consumer market. Behind the small toys is people’s pursuit of a better life, and it is also the embodiment of the vitality of the consumer market.
Not only a commodity, but also a social symbol.
What kind of tide play is more favored by the market?
According to the relevant person in charge of POP MART, from the market performance, IP co-branded funds, artists’ cooperation funds and limited-edition funds are the most popular. “Our IP series has always been a hot spot in the tide play market, such as Labubu, Molly, Skullpanda, Dimoo, etc., which are not only unique in design, but also keep fresh through continuous cross-border joint names and new product launches. For example, the joint vinyl doll of Labubu and Vans triggered a buying craze once it was launched. “
The person in charge of Dewu APP told the reporter that after Chaowan assembled the goods into gift boxes in various ways, the consumer’s demand for purchase was stronger, such as McDonald’s Altman Mahjong Gift Box, Disney’s 10th Anniversary 520 Bow Series Joint Gift Box, JELLYCAT 2025 New Blue Gift Box and year of the snake Limited Gift Box. “In 2025, the category of toys and stationery obtained has achieved over 100% growth.” According to the person in charge, on the platform of getting things, the 25th anniversary of Disney, Duffy and friends’ spring series of tidal play, became a new high-fever product through pre-sale; POP MART joint property sale Nezha blind box sold out in seconds.
Who are buying the tide to play?
According to the person in charge of Dewu APP, the consumers of Dewu toys are mainly college students aged 20-35 and new generation parents, and value the product’s “face value”, “playability” and “cost performance”. Among them, the consumer groups of plush toys are concentrated in the students aged 15-25, mainly women. The aesthetic appearance and emotional value are the core purchase decision factors, and the consumption habits pay more attention to the authenticity, quality and price. “Recently, the demand for gift-giving on the property APP is also increasing. The increase is mainly from Jellycat, Disney, etc., and the demand for users such as plush and building blocks has surged.” The person in charge said.
Why do young people love tide play?
According to experts’ analysis, young people love to buy trendy games, on the one hand, because the unique design of trendy games meets their aesthetic needs; On the other hand, the cultural and emotional value of Chaowan makes them find a sense of belonging and identity in the process of buying and collecting. The spread of social networks has also allowed the tide play culture to spread rapidly. Young people meet social needs by sharing tide play and integrating into specific social circles.
Tide play is not only a commodity for Generation Z, but also a way for young people to express their personality, interests and attitudes. “Chaowan is not limited to traditional toy forms, but uses different product forms to carry emerging IP and consumer ideas, thus giving products unique collection significance and emotional links. The rise of this collection culture has also promoted the extension of IP value and the diversified development of the entire tide play industry. ” The person in charge of the property told reporters.
Promote the healthy and sustainable development of the industry
China Chaowan brand also actively lays out the global market.
”As of 2024, we have opened stores in more than 20 countries overseas, and overseas revenue accounts for nearly 30%.” According to the person in charge of POP MART, the company gradually broke down the cultural barriers through localization operation strategies, such as introducing limited products in combination with Southeast Asian culture and cooperating with local artists to develop regional IP. “Our goal is to push China’s tide play culture to the world, so that more people can understand and love it”. Many inbound tour teams will also set the purchase of China Tide Play as a special link.
The offline experience is also an important part of the tide play consumption. According to reports, the National Joy City Project under COFCO Joy City has signed multi-level strategic contracts with head-playing brands including Kule Chaowan, China Mingchuang, POP MART and KKV. Among them, ILOVETOY’s first store in Beijing, 52TOYS’ first flagship store in Beijing, and TOPTOY’s brand-new concept store have landed in Beijing Chaoyang Joy City, making it the “highland of eating valley in Beijing”; The operation team of Shanghai Jing ‘an Joy City has built a set of mature IP operation system. In 2024, the maximum passenger flow of Jing ‘an Joy City in a single day exceeded 110,000, and the sales amount of the whole audience increased by nearly 25% year-on-year. Shenyang Joy City regards multiple ecological development and deep emotional links as the key to “breaking the game”. In 2024, nearly 100 secondary related activities such as comic exhibition, IP exhibition and house dance were held.
According to the data of “China Chaowan and Animation Industry Development Report (2024)” published by Institute of Finance and Economics of China Academy of Social Sciences and China Animation Society, the total value of China Chaowan industry is expected to climb to 110.1 billion yuan by 2026, with an average annual growth rate of over 20%.
In the future, what new changes will the tide play industry usher in?
Experts believe that with the continuous progress of science and technology, AI technology is likely to have a far-reaching impact on the tide play industry. On the one hand, AI can be applied to the design of Chaowan, analyzing consumer preferences through big data, and designing products that are more in line with market demand; On the other hand, in the sales and interaction of Chaowan, AI can provide more personalized services, such as virtual demo and intelligent recommendation.
The integration of Chaowan and other fields will also continue to deepen. “For example, combine with the cultural tourism industry to create tourist attractions or activities with the theme of Chaowan, and further expand the consumption scene of Chaowan.” Dong Chao said. “At present, the industry is also facing some challenges, such as homogenization of design, and some hot-selling premium disputes. In the future, enterprises need to make more efforts to improve product quality and enrich product connotation, increase the cultivation of their own IP, tap cultural connotation and tell good brand stories. In terms of going to sea, enterprises should pay full attention to regional, cultural and legal differences, conduct in-depth research on the local market, adjust product design and marketing strategies, realize localized operations, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the entire tide play industry. “
