Why Pop Mart’s arrival in Manila felt inevitable

Designer toys rarely announce cultural shifts—but the crowds usually do. In Metro Manila, long lines, emptied shelves, and meticulously filmed unboxings have quietly turned Pop Mart from a visiting novelty into a familiar name.

Over the past year, the brand’s pop-up stores across the capital functioned less as temporary retail and more as litmus tests. Each appearance drew repeat buyers, resellers, first-time collectors, and the merely curious—suggesting that Filipino interest in designer collectibles had moved beyond trend status. For Pop Mart, the message was unmistakable: demand here was not episodic, but sustained.

Founded in Beijing in 2010 by entrepreneur Wang Ning, Pop Mart began as a lifestyle retailer before redefining itself through designer toys and original intellectual property. Its defining innovation—the blind box—reframed collecting as an experience built on surprise, scarcity, and anticipation. Instead of relying on licensed characters alone, the company partnered with independent artists, cultivating original figures as long-term cultural assets rather than disposable novelties.

That strategy fueled Pop Mart’s rapid overseas expansion. Today, the brand operates thousands of retail touchpoints worldwide through permanent stores and its signature Robo Shops, with a footprint spanning Asia, Europe, and North America. Characters such as Molly, Labubu, Skullpanda, Dimoo, and Hirono have become instantly recognizable within the global collector scene, each anchored in distinct emotional or aesthetic universes. In this ecosystem, Pop Mart functions less like a toy retailer and more like a curator of contemporary pop art.

In the Philippines, that global momentum met a particularly receptive audience. After months of successful pop-ups across Metro Manila, the shift from temporary to permanent came on December 19, 2025. On that day, Pop Mart officially opened its first permanent store in the country at Level 2, Mega A of SM Megamall, converting anticipation into long-term commitment. The 300-square-meter flagship offers the brand’s most in-demand blind box series alongside limited-edition releases, positioning the space as both storefront and gathering point.

“Our first permanent store was made extra special—seeing everyone line up and leave with happy hauls truly made our opening unforgettable,” Pop Mart shared on social media.

The opening was preceded by a high-visibility installation that signaled the brand’s long game in the Philippines. On November 6—more than a month before the store opened—Pop Mart, in partnership with SM Megamall, unveiled a 40-foot Pop Mart–themed Christmas tree at the SM Fashion Hall. Reimagining holiday décor through the brand’s playful visual language, the installation quickly became a seasonal landmark and remains open to the public until January 11.

Community engagement followed swiftly. Days after the launch, the Megamall flagship hosted a fan-signing event led by Lang, creator of the globally beloved Hirono, marking the artist’s first visit to the country. The moment underscored why the Philippines has emerged as one of Pop Mart’s most engaged markets.

“Hirono is inspired by raw, unfiltered emotion,” Lang said. “The character captures the quiet truths and instant emotions we often hide, resonating with people through courage, joy, and introspection.”

With a permanent address now in place, Pop Mart’s presence in the Philippines feels less like an expansion strategy than a recognition—of a market that proved its appetite early, sustained its enthusiasm, and helped turn designer toys into a cultural constant rather than a passing fascination.