Trending
Barry and his minty biscuits have gone viral again
Emily Sergeant -
6th March 2020
Emily Sergeant -
6th March 2020 Trending
Why are people queuing HOURS for these viral toys in Manchester?
Thomas Melia
A viral craze has yet again struck the internet, and this time it’s a cute plush collectible toy character even causing queues in Manchester.
In Britain it’s safe to say we are accustomed to a queue or two, but this newest line which has started forming outside a toy and collectibles shop on Market Street has puzzled a fair few Mancs.
The queues aren’t appearing from nowhere either; social media users describe how they’ve walked past the store as early as 7:30am and seen dozens of people standing outside waiting.
The culprit of these queues? An adorable collectable plush toy character that goes by the name of ‘Labubu‘.
If your follow-up question is, “What is a Labubu?”, don’t worry because we asked exactly the same thing before we ended up nose-deep in the world of these widely popular plush toys.
ADVERTISEMENT
Labubu is the name of the viral plush toy created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised designer Kasing Lung, who drew inspiration from his love of fairytales to make this worldwide cuddly phenomenon.
Recognised by their bunny-like ears, large eyes and big smiles (which some people find off-putting), Labubu has become a bit of an overnight superstar and shows no signs of slowing down.
ADVERTISEMENT
The general public aren’t the only ones all over these famous fur-balls either, as celebs and stars alike have been attaching them to their handbags and sporting them like a prized possession.
And these are some pretty big names too, everyone from global superstar Rihanna to pop princess Dua Lipa have been pictured with a variation of Labubu dangling from their handbag.
📸 | @DUALIPA arriving at JFK Airport in NYC today! (11/12) https://t.co/xMWP31UkkW pic.twitter.com/IyjZaV98Tq
— Dua Lipa Hungary (@dlipahungary) December 11, 2024
People don’t just want to buy these viral toys as they are, part of the reason people are so obsessed with Labubu is the surprise element as you’ll find thousands of unboxing videos online.
Avid TikTok users will come across plenty of unboxing style videos, where collectors predict which colour or variation of the viral toy they will get before inevitably find out for themselves.
Previous Love Island contestant, reality TV star and model Olivia Attwood has got involved in this current Labubu trend, making lots of videos on social media expressing her love towards these plush collectables.
Attwood has become an unofficial mascot for Labubu through her various videos on social media, where she either unboxes or makes reference to these ‘monsters’.
@tiktokshop_uk Anyone else as obsessed as @OLIVIA ATTWOOD DACK about Labubus? We deffo are #labubuthemonsters #labubu #labubuhaveaseat ♬ Quiz, cute, silly clarinet(1583976) – nyansuke
It’s no passing craze either, as Pop Mart even has its sights set on a second Greater Manchester location set to open later this year.
This adorable plush toy character has even made its way into the rap field with UK drill act Central Cee not only having one but five variations of Labubu.
Each Labubu falls under a category or ‘series’, Cench seems to be a fan of the ‘Have A Seat’ range with all his collectibles in a sitting position.
The series all have their own names and limited edition style characters too including ‘Wings Of Fortune’, ‘Big Into Energy’, Pop Mart even launched a collaboration with household brand Coca Cola.
Read more:
- TikTok foodies Spudbros confirm location for FIRST EVER Manchester site
- Viral K-Beauty brand Pureseoul is opening a store at Manchester Arndale
- The viral factory in Oldham that sells £2 Colin the Caterpillar cakes
Labubu toys are exclusive to Pop Mart and available in their stores nationwide including Manchester Market Street and soon in their brand-new Trafford Centre destination too HERE.
So, that explains all the queuing, at the very least.
What do you make of the Pop Mart/Labubu craze?
ADVERTISEMENT
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Pop Mart
Trending
The shop where people queue OVERNIGHT for viral toys is coming to Trafford Centre
Thomas Melia
There’s a viral shop in Manchester where people queue for hours to get their hands on viral toys, and it’s now making its way to the Trafford Centre.
After already taking Manchester by storm when it initially opened back in March this year, viral toy shop Pop Mart now has its sights set on another new spot in one of the North West’s most iconic and popular shopping malls.
Known for stocking all the latest viral collectable crazes, Pop Mart is set to open its second Manchester site at none other than the Trafford Centre (TC) and will definitely bring in the same queues as its Market Street predecessor.
This comes in line with the announcement of a huge retail takeover from clothing giants Bershka, who are teaming up with Pull & Bear and Zara at TC in the old M&S unit.
The Chinese toy and collectable shop has become in high demand for stocking just one certain toy character: Labubu
This cheeky toy character is quite a marmite topic for some, with many finding the plush toys to be cute and cuddly, while others deem Labubu ‘monsters’ to be a bit creepy and off-putting.
Are we pulling from an internal office debate? Maybe…
Regardless, Labubu are widely recognisable around the world, famed for their bunny-like ears and big, wide eyes; soft, shiny fur and, most notably, a large smile with their teeth on display.
It seems everyone is after one of these Labubu character toys, with Mancs making their commute to work through the city centre, startled by the sheer length of the queues at Pop Mart.
One social media user even commented, “I went past on the tram at 7.30 this morning and there were half a dozen people in the queue already!”
Trends may come and go, but it seems this latest viral craze is here to stay as it’s now having a second resurgence thanks to lots of celebrity endorsements, including Love Island star Olivia Attwood.
Their Market St corner has lots to offer, including blind boxes, mini figurines, accessories and, of course, those infamous Labubu toys.
We’re sure the Trafford Centre venue will be just as healthily stocked.
At present, there’s no official opening date for Pop Mart’s Trafford Centre store besides the ‘Coming Soon’ signage outside the shop front, but we’re sure it won’t be too long before you can get your next Labubu fix – we wouldn’t be surprised to see even more Greater Manchester locations follow.
@zizi68277 #labubu #popmart #popmartblindbox #fyp #viral #viralgirl #viral #delulu ♬ original sound – Labubu
Are you part of the Pop Mart craze or, more importantly, what do you make of the Labubu trend?
Read more:
- Viral K-Beauty brand Pureseoul is opening a store at Manchester Arndale
- TikTok foodies Spudbros confirm location for FIRST EVER Manchester site
- K-pop boyband ENHYPEN announce HUGE gig in Manchester
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — The Manc Group
More Trending
Audio
Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute
Eats