Labubu Doll Sales Paused in UK After Crowds and Fights Over Scarce Stock

Fans of Labubu dolls are upset after the toy maker stopped selling them in all UK stores. This happened because customers were fighting over the toys.

Pop Mart, the company that makes the monster bag charms, told the BBC it paused sales in all 16 shops until June. They want to stop any safety problems.

Victoria Calvert, a Labubu fan, saw the chaos in the Stratford store in London. She said, "People were fighting and shouting. It felt scary."

The soft toys became popular on TikTok. Celebrities like Rihanna and Dua Lipa wore them. Some experts say stopping sales will make more people want the toys.

Labubu is a fun monster made by artist Kasing Lung from Hong Kong. Pop Mart helped make it famous.

In the UK, prices go from £13.50 to £50. Rare dolls sell for hundreds of pounds on sites like Vinted and eBay.

Pop Mart said it wants a fair way to sell the toys when they come back.

But many fans on social media are angry. One wrote on Pop Mart’s Instagram, "You caused this hype by giving us small amounts of stock."

Others are mad at resellers. One said, "Some sell them for £100. That’s not fair. Why can they buy when others can’t?"

Victoria said some people camped outside the store since 3 a.m. Others stayed overnight.

"When I got there, many people were waiting and the mood was bad," she said. "I saw a fight between a worker and a customer."

She left because she felt unsafe. "It was scary," she said.

The store told the BBC, "No workers got hurt. But we stopped sales early to keep people safe."

Victoria said, "It’s probably for the best." She thinks some first in line were resellers. They sold tickets for £150 that let buyers get a Labubu.

Jaydee, who shares Labubu videos on TikTok, blames resellers for spoiling the fun.

"I’ve lived in London all my life. Resellers are a problem," she said. "For real fans, stopping sales is good news. I can shop without waiting in line."

Susannah Streeter, from Hargreaves Lansdown, said selling the dolls in blind boxes and small amounts caused the rush.

"Big crowds on sale days are hard to manage," she said. "This hurts the brand’s fun image, so sales were paused."

She warned this pause may make more people want the dolls online, where they sell out fast.

"It may push fans to buy from resellers. But some fake Labubus are sold online. Buyers risk getting fakes."

Sarah Johnson from Flourish Retail said pausing sales is a smart choice.

Collectible brands like Labubu use low stock to make toys special.

Pop Mart said fans queued all night, which is not the kind of shopping they want.

"Labubu will be back in stores in June," they said. "We are working on a better, fairer way to sell them."