“It was crazy!”: In Bordeaux, the new store of the Pop Mart phenomenon was stormed as soon as it opened

On Wednesday, September 10, while clashes were taking place between protesters and police at the Port de la Lune , another scene was attracting attention on Rue Sainte-Catherine: an endless queue in front of the new Pop Mart store, which sells collectible figurines from pop culture. This is the first provincial location for the Chinese brand , which already has six stores in the Paris region.

The least we can say is that the craze was immediate... But it also annoyed some. On social networks and in Google reviews, the frustration can be read: "An excessive wait, the first customers who came in took 1 hour to leave" , "In three hours, Pop Mart is not even able to take 100 people" , "I've been waiting since 8 a.m. this morning and it's 11 a.m., I still haven't come home" .

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"It was crazy! There were hundreds of people waiting outside, it was expected. Honestly, the customers we met were smiling," one of the saleswomen told us. The day after the hectic opening, this Thursday, the atmosphere is more serene. Around forty people are queuing and waiting in the rain. Security guards are screening the entrances, "to avoid too many people at the same time and especially to prevent theft," according to one of them.

Located in the heart of Bordeaux city center, the store boasts a minimalist facade. “Bordeaux was chosen for our first provincial opening because it is a cultural, creative, and dynamic city, with a very lively shopping center. Rue Sainte-Catherine, the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, is an iconic place that allows us to meet the people of Bordeaux, visitors, and tourists,” explains Danni Zhao, Pop Mart’s marketing manager. Inside, the decor is understated, and the shelves are perfectly aligned to showcase dozens of colorful figurines, keychains, and mystery boxes. At the back, a “photo spot” corner even encourages visitors to immortalize their visit. Emblematic characters like Labubu dominate the space, under illuminated neon lights. Labubu is THE figurine that propelled Pop Mart to the forefront. In April 2024, Blackpink singer Lisa was photographed wearing a Pop Mart keychain, sparking a buying spree in Southeast Asia. Since then, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and other celebrities buying Pop Mart items have helped popularize the brand. According to one salesperson, "It's a TikTok trend . There's also a real 'kidult' effect: parents are buying out of childhood nostalgia."

Ludovic, a father, came with his four-year-old son, who was already carrying four figurines in his hands, and who even ended up dropping one on the floor. "Labubu is crazy. With kids, you can't resist. I'm a pop culture fan myself; I grew up with Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh." In the end, he decided to buy only two, at 18 euros each. "It's still quite expensive compared to Chinese prices," he notes. On the other side of the store, Giane, a 22-year-old from Bordeaux, is still hesitating before buying a key ring for 36 euros. "I came across these models by chance, on social media. I think they're very beautiful, even if the price is a bit steep!" she smiles. Near her, a student is looking at the windows with intrigue: "It's really amusing, but I admit I don't really understand the concept. I came to be curious." I saw the crowd on the first day, so I took advantage of the fact that there were fewer people to enter."

"Some came the first time and came back a few hours later with different clothes. But we didn't get fooled."

A saleswoman at the Pop Mart store in Bordeaux

In just a few years, Pop Mart has established itself as one of the leading brands in designer toys and kawaii culture. Founded in 2010 by Wang Ning, the company popularized "blind boxes" : mystery boxes containing a figurine whose exact identity is unknown to the buyer. Each series includes rare, so-called "secret" models, which pique curiosity and encourage collectors to multiply their purchases. "On the first day the store opened in Bordeaux, we saw people leaving with bags full of them. We know it's for buying and reselling rare pieces," says one of the saleswomen. Asked about this by Le Figaro , marketing manager Danni Zhao replied that to counter this practice, Pop Mart "sets purchase limits during launches and restocks of highly sought-after products, organizes raffles for the most requested items and increases restocking to reduce rarity ." In the Bordeaux store, a sign with purchase limits for certain items is actually placed at the entrance. "Some people came once and came back a few hours later with different clothes. But we didn't get fooled," assures a saleswoman.

The opening of the store on Sainte-Catherine Street clearly demonstrates the Chinese brand's success in France. The company has seen its sales soar by 200% in one year and its net profit explode by nearly 400%. Wang Ning, the company's founder and CEO, believes Pop Mart is on track to reach its target of 20 billion yuan in revenue (2.8 billion dollars) by 2025, and recently stated that it could even reach 30 billion, or 4.2 billion dollars .