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Blind Box Economy

What is the Blind Economy

The "Blind Box Economy" refers to economic activities driven by the marketing model of blind box packaging, which uses the unique form of blind boxes to stimulate consumer behavior. Broadly, the concept of blind boxes represents a marketing strategy. Narrowly, it refers to trendy toys (also called artist toys or designer toys), which target non-child audiences and are embedded with cultural narratives or story backgrounds for each IP (Intellectual Property).

Development of Blind Boxes

Blind boxes are a sales format for trendy toys, where consumers cannot know the specific product design beforehand, giving them a random attribute. Historically, blind boxes originated from Japan’s Meiji-era "Fukubukuro" (lucky bags) and the U.S.-born, Japan-popularized "Gashapon" (capsule toys) (Shen Zhiyu & Zhang Xipeng, 2022). By the 1990s, China began adopting similar marketing models, initially called "Collectible Card Marketing." Another early form in China was "Food Toys"—random toys placed in children’s snacks. For example, instant noodles like "Xiao Huan Xiong" and "Xiao Hu Dui" became wildly popular in schools, not just for their taste but for the chance to collect cards. After the 1998 World Cup, "Xiao Hu Dui" released 38 World Cup player cards, while "Xiao Huan Xiong" offered 108 unique Water Margin hero cards.

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Consumers are drawn to the mystery and surprise of unboxing, as not knowing the contents creates excitement. This randomness and thrill drive repeated purchases, fueling the Blind Box Economy’s popularity.

Growth of China’s Blind Box Economy

With rapid economic growth, Chinese consumers increasingly prioritize spiritual consumption and diverse experiences. Blind boxes, as a trendy sales method, captured the youth market. In 2016, Pop Mart secured exclusive Brand Licensing for the IP "Molly," whose healing image and emotional projection resonated with young buyers, turning toys into emotional symbols. That year, Pop Mart launched the "Molly Zodiac Series" under the "IP + Blind Box" model, selling out 200 units instantly.

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Pop Mart leveraged Curiosity-driven Psychology by making purchases feel like a "gamble," enhancing the fun. Simultaneously, IP-based blind boxes tapped into collectible desires akin to Stamp Collecting Psychology. The urge to complete a series, own a Rare Hidden Edition, or secure a favorite IP design kept consumers buying. Additionally, blind boxes met Social Needs, becoming a new topic for interaction. On social media, users share their "loot" and strategies, further boosting sales. Beyond Pop Mart, brands like 52TOYS, TOPTOY, and SonnyAngel gained traction. The "IP + Blind Box" trend also expanded into Stationery Blind Boxes, Makeup Blind Boxes, Snack Blind Boxes, and even Flight Ticket Blind Boxes.

According to Frost & Sullivan (2019), China’s Blind Box market grew from ¥2.5 billion in 2019 to nearly ¥20 billion by 2021, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 75% (Hu Jiawen, 2020). A 2025 report by CIRP predicts the market will surge to ¥58 billion, transitioning from a "niche trend" to a trillion-level "New Consumption Infrastructure." Notably, Labubu—a spiky-eared elf from Pop Mart’s IP lineup—achieved Viral Spread globally by 2025. Scenes of young crowds queuing for Labubu blind boxes in Beijing’s Sanlitun, Tokyo’s Harajuku, Paris’s Le Marais, and New York’s SOHO became Phenomenon-level Landscapes on social media, cementing China’s role as the global hub of the Blind Box Economy.

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References

[1]申智玉 & 张曦鹏.(2022).浅析盲盒经济多元化背后的“着迷密码”.现代营销(下旬刊),(12),35-37.doi:10.19932/j.cnki.22-1256/F.2022.12.035.

[2]魏馥雅,张克英 & 赵甲立.(2025).泡泡玛特快速崛起之路.企业管理,(01),49-52.

[3]胡嘉雯.(2020).潮玩玩家群体的媒介使用与身份认同(硕士学位论文,中国社会科学院研究生院).硕士https://link.cnki.net/doi/10.27642/d.cnki.gskyy.2020.000285doi:10.27642/d.cnki.gskyy.2020.000285.

Terms and Expressions

Blind Box Economy 盲盒经济

Blind Box 盲盒

Meiji-era 明治时期

Fukubukuro 福袋

Gashapon 扭蛋

Collectible Card Marketing 集卡式营销

Food Toy 食玩

Trendy Toys 潮玩

Pop Mart 泡泡玛特

Intellectual Property IP (知识产权)

Hidden Edition 隐藏款

Social Needs 社交需求

Curiosity-driven Psychology 猎奇心理

Viral Spread 病毒式传播

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) 年均复合增长率

Brand Licensing 品牌授权

Questions

1、What is the Blind Box Economy?

2、Which two countries did blind boxes originate from?

3、What was the early marketing model of the "Blind Box Economy" in China?

4、Which product made Pop Mart popular?

5、Besides toys, what other items have been made into blind boxes?

盲盒经济

什么是盲盒经济

“盲盒经济”是一种基于盲盒包装为营销模式的经济活动，使用盲盒这种独特的包装形式来引发一系列的消费活动。而盲盒的概念比较宽泛，广义上看盲盒概念是指一种营销方式，狭义上来说，盲盒概念是潮流玩具的一种潮流玩具又称艺术家玩具或者设计师玩具，它的目标受众并非面向儿童，并且每一款IP都是有自己的文化内涵或故事背景。

盲盒的发展

盲盒也是潮流玩具的一种售卖形式，是是指消费者不能提前得知具体产品款式的玩具盒子，具有随机属性。严格来说，盲盒起源于日本19世纪明治时期的“福袋”，此外诞生于美国，兴盛于日本的“扭蛋”也是原型之一。（申智玉& 张曦鹏 2022）到了20世纪90年代，我国也开始出现类似于“盲盒经济”的营销模式，初期被认为是一种叫做“集卡式”的营销手段，“盲盒经济”在我国的另一种形式是随机放置于儿童食品中的附属玩具，简称食玩。小时候干脆面曾风靡中国各大校园，比如小浣熊、小虎队、魔法士等，无数学子为其疯狂，不仅是因为这些干脆面好吃，更是为了抽中其附赠的卡。98年世界杯结束后，小虎队推出了世界杯球星卡全套总共有38款；小浣熊的水浒英雄卡，共108款，张张不同，张张新颖。

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消费者在打开盒子之前，并不知道盒子里有具体哪一款玩具，在无法自主选择款式的情况下，偶然抽中喜欢的款式无疑会令人感到惊喜与满足。这种不确定的随机性和神秘感，刺激者消费者们不断地购买，是盲盒经济如此火爆的原因之一。

我国盲盒经济的发展

随着我国经济的持续迅猛发展，人们的消费需求更加多元化，消费方式也发生变化，逐渐重视精神消费。盲盒作为一种新潮的玩具售卖方式，精准切入年轻消费者市场，尤其是2016年，泡泡玛特成功获得Molly的独家授权， Molly以治愈的形象博得年轻消费者的好感，并通过情感投射与其建立情感联系，成为年轻消费群体的情感寄托，从而赋予潮玩更多与拥有者自身情感相关的意义。2016 年，泡泡玛特首次以“IP+盲盒”的形式推出 MOLLY 星座系列，200 套新品上架后很快被一抢而空。

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一方面，泡泡玛特充分利用消费者的猎奇心理，以盲盒的形式让消费者在购买过程中充满期待和惊喜，这种“赌一把”的紧张刺激体验提升了购买乐趣；另一方面，基于 IP 形象的盲盒系列产品激发了消费者的收藏欲望，与集邮心理有异曲同工之妙。每个 IP 系列下包含不同款式，集齐完整系列、拥有稀有隐藏款或是自身特别喜欢的 IP 形象，这种渴望驱使消费者不断购买。此外，购买盲盒产品满足了当下年轻人的社交需求，成了一种新的社交话题和互动方式。（魏馥雅,张克英 & 赵甲立 2025)在社交媒体上，各位网友也热衷于分享购买的盲盒“战利品”，还会交流购买心得和挑选盲盒的攻略，这也在一定程度上推动了产品销售。除了泡泡玛特以外，还有52TOYS、TOPTOY、SonnyAngel等盲盒品牌深受大众喜爱。随着“IP＋盲盒”开始走红，众多如文具盲盒、美妆盲盒、零食盲盒、机票盲盒等“盲盒经济”的热潮也由此而来。

2019年据Forst&Sulivan数据显示，中国盲盒市场规模超过25亿元并逐年扩大至2021年接近200亿元，年均复合增长率接近75%.（胡嘉雯 2020）据中研普华产业研究院的《2024-2030年中国盲盒行业供需预测及投资潜力研究咨询报告》最新研究显示，2025年，中国盲盒行业已从“小众潮玩”蜕变为千亿级“新消费基础设施”，市场规模突破580亿元，年复合增长率达28%，成为全球盲盒经济最活跃的市场。尤其是2025年，一只有9颗牙齿和直立的尖耳朵的精灵形象Labubu，正以病毒式传播速度席卷全球。从北京三里屯到东京原宿，从巴黎玛黑区到纽约SOHO区，年轻人手持Labubu盲盒排队抢购的画面，成为社交媒体上的现象级景观。这只出自泡泡玛特IP矩阵的“小怪兽”，不仅让这家中国潮玩企业市值突破千亿港元，更将“盲盒经济”推向全球舞台中央。

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参考文献