China's plush market is booming: emotional economy drives adult spending
China isn't just manufacturing the world's plush toys — it's increasingly buying them too. The country now accounts for approximately 15% of the global plush market, and the growth is being driven by a phenomenon Chinese media calls the "emotional economy."
The shift
Circana's data shows global toy sales increased 7% in the first half of 2025, with collectibles up 35%. China is leading this shift. Pop Mart — the Beijing-based company behind Labubu — has become a symbol of how Chinese consumers are spending on emotional comfort rather than purely functional goods.
The pattern is clear across Chinese social platforms. On Xiaohongshu (China's equivalent of Instagram), plush-related content generates millions of monthly interactions. On Douyin (Chinese TikTok), blind box unboxing videos are a dominant content category. Themed plushies tied to emotional narratives are a major selling point, feeding into what analysts describe as "emotional consumption."
What's driving it
Three factors distinguish China's plush boom:
Young adult spending power. Chinese millennials and Gen Z — particularly young professionals in tier-1 cities — are the primary buyers. With rising disposable incomes but delayed traditional milestones (marriage, home ownership), discretionary spending flows toward personal comfort and self-expression.
The gifting culture overlay. Chinese gifting traditions, combined with modern social media sharing, create powerful purchase drivers. Plush gifts for partners, friends, and colleagues are culturally normalised in ways that exceed Western markets.
Platform commerce. China's integrated social-commerce ecosystem (Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Taobao Live) makes discovery-to-purchase frictionless. A viral plush video on Douyin can generate thousands of sales within hours through integrated shopping links.
Implications for global brands
Western plush brands eyeing Chinese consumers face a market that demands localisation, platform-native content (Xiaohongshu, Douyin, WeChat — not Instagram and TikTok), and an understanding of Chinese aesthetic and emotional preferences.
Pop Mart's success isn't just about blind boxes — it's about understanding Chinese consumers' relationship with emotional objects. Western brands that enter China with their existing Western-market approach will underperform. Those that invest in genuine cultural adaptation will find an enormous and growing market.
PlushPulse will launch Chinese-language coverage (zh.plushpulse.net) in our Phase 3 expansion, with dedicated Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Weibo presence.
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