Pop Mart Suspends Food-Related Mystery Toy Boxes Business
Regarding a heated discussion caused by its co-brand promotion with KFC, Beijing-based designer toymaker Pop Mart announced on Tuesday night that it would adjust its business and suspend a customized mystery toy boxes initiative in future cooperations with the food industry, so as to eliminate possible food waste. It will also remind authorized partners to avoid over-marketing, and suggests that consumers act rationally during promotional activities.
The “CCTV 3.15 Gala” is a charity event held by China Central Television (CCTV) together with various government departments on the evening of March 15 every year, aiming to protect consumers’ rights and interests. This year’s gala exposed the “chaotic development” of the mystery toy boxes industry, after CCTV reported that 2021 witnessed the blooming of the sector. However, while “everything can be mystery toy boxes,” the problems behind it are becoming increasingly prominent. Many consumers have noticed inflated commodity prices, excessive consumption and poor product quality.
Earlier in January, 2022, KFC and Pop Mart jointly launched the “Dimoo x KFC toy collection,” which were snapped up by consumers, causing widespread concern in society. Because many consumers wasted the food they bought in order to obtain limited edition mystery toy figures, this practice caused a lot of controversy at that time.
Later, the China Consumers Association issued a document saying that KFC, as a food operator, used limited mystery toy boxes sales to induce and condone consumers to buy food packages irrationally and excessively, contrary to public order, good customs and legal spirit.
Pop Mart responded that it hoped consumers would purchase products rationally. “In the future, we will continue to focus on improving the quality of products and services, and welcome all sectors of society to supervise us and help us become a better Pop Mart.”
The company added that it has not participated in the second-hand market of designer toys in any form in the past and will not participate in the future.
