Kidults go wild for toy shop opening with craze boosting economy
Published date: Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:15:08 +0700
Toy enthusiasts flocked to a new Pop Mart store amid a toy craze currently boosting Thailand's economy.
Video shows hundreds of art toy collectors queueing outside the Pop Mart shop at the Mega Bangna mall in Bangkok.
Customers were accommodated on a reservation basis, with only 30 minutes allotted per shopper for browsing and buying.
Big spenders were given extra freebies, with the first 500 customers spending more than 5,000 THB receiving Hacipupu The Growth Diary Series Jelly Stickers, and the first 100 customers who spend more than 10,000 THB receiving Molly Imaginary Wanderin Mirror items.
The opening day also featured exclusive items for sale such as building blocks, figurines, dolls, accessories, and blind boxes, while a Labubu Meet & Greet event took place on July 5 and 6.
The demographic called 'kidults' - the young-at-heart who spend their disposable income on toy collectables to fulfil their infantile desires - has helped to boost Thailand's economy to 20 billion THB , market data revealed.
Auramon Supthaveethum, director-general of the Department of Business Development, said small manufacturers benefitted the most from the trend, which saw Thailand record a staggering 19.68 billion THB in revenue in 2023 alone.
