"I'd Rather Buy Fakes Now": Labubu Doll Craze Faces Crisis as Consumers Turn to Counterfeits

"Lafufu Now More Common Than Labubu," Says CNN
"China Accounts for 45% of Brand Counterfeit Cases"

There are growing concerns that the craze for the Chinese "Pop Mart" Labubu dolls may soon subside due to the flood of counterfeit dolls.

On August 24 (local time), CNN reported that Pop Mart is struggling with the proliferation of fake Labubu dolls, stating, "These days, you can spot the counterfeit Lafufu (a knockoff of Labubu) on the streets more often than the genuine Labubu."

Jocelyn Chamorro, a 28-year-old American who opted for Lafufu instead of Labubu, told CNN, "There's no need to line up all night to buy a $30 (about 41,500 won) doll, and it's not appealing to pay $100 (about 138,500 won) to a reseller," explaining her reasons for purchasing a counterfeit. She added that since Lafufu also uses a blind box business model similar to Labubu, buyers can experience the same excitement as purchasing the genuine product.

Blackpink's Ros? and Lisa posted a photo taken with 'Labubu' on social networking service (SNS). Ros?, Lisa SNS capture

Pop Mart, the Chinese character doll manufacturer, expects its sales this year to exceed 30 billion yuan (about 5.81 trillion won). According to a recently released semi-annual report, sales in North America surged by 1,000% compared to the previous year. Pop Mart has now opened more than 50 new stores worldwide.

The secret behind Labubu's popularity lies in its relatively affordable price range of $20 to $40 (about 27,700 to 55,400 won), the thrill of the blind box system where buyers cannot predict which product they will get, and aggressive social networking service (SNS) marketing that taps into the psychology of following influencers and celebrities. However, CNN pointed out that the widespread counterfeits are threatening Labubu's popularity.

Labubu doll (left) and the counterfeit Lafufu (right). YouTube capture

The reason Labubu is vulnerable to counterfeiting is that its parent company is a Chinese firm where design copyrights are not well protected. CNN explained, "According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), China manufactures counterfeits of almost every famous brand. In 2021, it accounted for 45% of reported counterfeit cases," adding, "China did not rank highly on the index measuring the level of intellectual property (IP) compliance in each country."

The outlet also noted, "Unlike established leaders in the traditional IP industry, Pop Mart does not have a long history," and added, "The company is more focused on expanding its customer base than on retaining loyal customers."