Labubu lands in Bali as Pop Mart bets on tourism-driven retail

Pop Mart has opened its first store on Indonesia’s famed resort island, right across from Kuta Beach. It’s not just the brand’s seventh store in the country - it’s also Bali’s first-ever Labubu-themed outlet, designed to serve both as a retail concept and a pop-culture spectacle.

This latest move is more than an aesthetic play. It reflects Pop Mart’s accelerating push to turn tourist-heavy cities into cultural footholds for its intellectual property (IP) brands.

“Bali is one of the world’s top tourist destinations, and we’re thrilled to open a culturally immersive retail space here,” said a Pop Mart spokesperson at the launch. “We hope Pop Mart becomes the go-to souvenir brand for tourists visiting Bali, bringing joyful IP experiences to both travellers and local consumers alike.”

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Labubu, one of Pop Mart’s most recognisable characters, has been reimagined here in full vacation mode: decked out in sunglasses, sipping drinks by the sea, and posing for photo ops in yoga positions.

For a brand that’s built a global reputation on limited-edition drops and blind-box culture, Pop Mart’s Bali store trades scarcity for spectacle - and places heavy emphasis on localisation.

Inside, beach textures, tree-like columns, and Balinese arches shape a visual story that blends global character branding with island aesthetics. The store also opened with a local blessing ceremony, complete with flower offerings, traditional sarongs, and a performance by Bali’s mythical Barong lion.

Pop Mart’s shift toward immersive, hyper-localised stores is part of a broader retail trend - especially in Asia - where brands are moving beyond shelves to create sensorial spaces. The goal? Not just conversion, but content. Tourists don’t just buy from Pop Mart stores; they post them, tag them, and turn them into part of the destination experience.

Indonesia’s booming consumer market makes it an ideal testbed for this strategy. With a youthful population, a strong appetite for design-led products, and nearly 10 million annual visitors to Bali alone, the stakes are high - but so is the upside.

The company’s retail footprint has grown fast since it entered Indonesia last year with its first store in Jakarta’s Gandaria City - a milestone that also marked its 100th overseas outlet.

Pop Mart’s global expansion strategy continues to centre on iconic cities and high-traffic zones. Recent openings in Vietnam’s Ba Na Hills and Singapore’s Changi Airport show a clear intent: to transform tourist gateways into retail showcases for its IP universe. Its next move will be Japan’s Narita Airport, among others.

“Looking ahead, we will stay committed to building our brand in key travel destinations through unique themed stores,” the spokesperson said. “We aim to provide diverse shopping experiences and share global pop culture with even more consumers around the world.”

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