China's Toys Sales Exceed 50 Billion in Overseas Market, What Makes Them Popular in Over 200 Countries?

Recently, the State Council Information Office held a press conference where Wang Jun, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs, stated that in recent years, many trendy Chinese domestic products have become global hits, gaining favor among overseas consumers and becoming a new highlight in China's foreign trade exports. In the first three quarters of this year, China exported more than 50 billion yuan worth of festive items, dolls, and animal-themed toys to over 200 countries and regions worldwide, many of which are trendy Chinese domestic products.

IP Value Leap: From "Winning with Price" to "Winning with Value"

Chinese toy companies, which once relied on OEM for survival, are now conquering global consumers with original IP and cultural connotations. Behind the breakthrough of China's toy exports exceeding the 50 billion mark is a profound transformation regarding the restructuring of industry value. Successful Chinese trendy toy IPs in the current international market generally possess the ability to modernize the translation of cultural elements.

Taking LABUBU as an example, as a globally popular star product of POP MART, its success is inseparable from the "globalization-oriented" product design concept. The prototype of LABUBU is derived from Norse mythology, and its design inherently possesses cross-cultural inclusivity. This fundamental logic of "born globally, aimed globally" allows it to evoke emotional resonance among overseas consumers without the need for complex cultural translation, easily bridging regional aesthetic differences.

In terms of IP operations, leading companies have established a multi-level value extraction system. In addition to core product sales, it also includes co-branded licensing, digital content, themed spaces, and other derivative forms. This multi-dimensional operational model significantly enhances the lifecycle value of IP, enabling a single IP to generate continuous revenue.

Going Global: From Market Expansion to Local Ecosystem Building

Toy companies are shifting their overseas strategies from extensive expansion to refined operations. As a leading player, Pop Mart uses its strong proprietary IP as a core engine to open stores in global landmarks or key commercial areas such as Cambridge in the UK and Bali in Indonesia. By combining this with a DTC model through its self-operated app, Pop Mart is deeply cultivating overseas markets, with its overseas revenue soaring to 5.59 billion yuan in the first half of the year. Notably, it achieved an explosive growth of over 1142% year-on-year in the American market. Meanwhile, Bloks cleverly leveraged well-known IPs such as "Transformers" to quickly establish its presence overseas, focusing on online channels like Amazon and targeting cost-effective products, leading to a 899% surge in overseas income in the first half of the year.

These companies' overseas practices demonstrate that Chinese toys are transitioning from simple product exports to comprehensive overseas expansion involving brand management and localization capabilities. According to industry analysts, "Almost every trendy toy company we've encountered has included 'going abroad' in their next agenda." Therefore, it seems that the next stage of competition may shift towards localized operations overseas, which not only includes the localization of product design but also involves the refined operation of marketing channels and user communities.

As enterprises venture from blue oceans into deeper waters, the efficiency of the supply chain becomes inextricably linked to profitability. In the first half of 2025, Bruker reported a gross margin of 48.39%, a year-on-year decrease of 4.5 percentage points, partly due to the demand for high-precision and multi-cavity molds for new SKUs, leading to an increase in the number of molds and mold depreciation. In contrast, Pop Mart's supply chain possesses agile responsiveness. By deepening its manufacturing base in Dongguan and establishing overseas factories in Vietnam, it has built a capacity network that balances efficiency and risk mitigation. To achieve a tenfold increase in monthly production capacity for LABUBU plush products, it can quickly coordinate multiple production sources. This flexible manufacturing system is a key cornerstone supporting global bestsellers and maintaining high profitability.

In addition, the issue of intellectual property rights for toys going overseas also requires close attention. In recent years, the number of counterfeit toys seized by Chinese customs has been staggering, with 1.83 million LABUBU products alone suspected of infringement. These infringing products not only undermine corporate profits but may also damage the international image of Chinese brands. For companies, establishing a comprehensive intellectual property system to protect brand image and consumer trust has become a mandatory course for going abroad.

With the achievement of an export value of 50 billion, China's toy industry has entered a new stage of development. Future competition will go beyond the creation of single hit products, shifting towards a deeper focus on IP ecosystem development and global industrialization. Only those enterprises that can internalize these core capabilities as a driving force for growth will be able to navigate steadily and sustainably in the global market filled with opportunities and challenges.