LONDON — Pop Mart, the Chinese toymaker behind the viral Labubu collectible dolls, said Friday it will base its European headquarters in the city and open up to seven new UK stores, including a flagship on Oxford Street. The expansion is expected to create more than 150 jobs, part of a package of UK-China trade and investment announcements released as Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrapped up a visit to China, Jan. 30, 2026.
Pop Mart’s London hub and UK store plan
In a UK government statement, the company said London will serve as its regional hub as it rolls out 27 new stores across Europe over the coming year, including up to seven in the UK.
Jobs: More than 150 roles expected in the UK.
UK stores: Up to seven new locations, including a flagship on Oxford Street.
Wider Europe: About 20 additional stores planned across major European cities.
A Reuters report said the UK openings are expected to include Birmingham and Cardiff alongside the Oxford Street flagship.
The plan was discussed during Starmer’s trip to China as part of a broader push to promote trade and inbound investment, including market-access and tariff changes highlighted by Downing Street. The South China Morning Post reported that Starmer met Pop Mart’s founder and CEO, Wang Ning, at a closed-door CEO roundtable during the UK-China Business Forum.
Pop Mart and the Labubu craze in Britain
Pop Mart’s growth pitch in the UK leans heavily on Labubu — a toothy, pointy-eared character sold in “blind box” packaging — that has surged in popularity as collectors post “unboxings” and restock runs across social platforms.
Wang said in the government statement, “London stands at the heart of the global creative ecosystem, and we are thrilled to plant our European roots here.”
The brand has also been building visibility in the West End for some time. An Oxford Street website post from June 2024 described Pop Mart’s arrival on the shopping strip and highlighted weekly product drops aimed at repeat visits.
But the same hype that powers the brand can complicate store operations. In May 2025, Business Insider reported that Pop Mart temporarily paused some in-store Labubu sales in the UK after long queues and safety concerns during restocks.
Counterfeits have been another byproduct of demand. The Guardian reported in August 2025 that UK trading standards officials warned some fake Labubu dolls posed choking risks, underscoring the pressure on brands to police third-party sellers as popularity grows.
For UK retail, Pop Mart’s decision to place its European HQ in London is being framed by officials as a high-street vote of confidence, with jobs tied to new stores and regional operations. For Pop Mart, the rollout will test whether social-media virality can be converted into sustained foot traffic — and repeat purchasing — across Europe’s most competitive shopping districts.
