Home / Business and Economy / Retailers Ride Wave of Blind Box Craze to Boost Holiday Sales
Retailers Ride Wave of Blind Box Craze to Boost Holiday Sales
14 Nov
Summary
- Retailers like Walmart feature new blind box figurines and trading cards
- Hasbro and Mattel selling mystery-packaged toys like Furby and Barbie
- Blind box toys appeal to adults and kids, offer low-cost "dopamine boost"
In the lead-up to the 2025 holiday shopping season, U.S. retailers are riding the wave of the blind box craze to boost sales. While consumers continue to hunt for the hard-to-find Pop Mart Labubu dolls, rival brands are introducing their own more accessible "blind box" products.
Major retailers like Walmart have featured a new crop of blind box figurines and trading cards on their holiday gift lists. Additionally, established toy companies Hasbro and Mattel are selling versions of popular toys like Furby and Barbie in mystery packaging, tapping into the trend.
Blind box toys, where the specific product inside is hidden, have gained immense popularity as they inspire addictive shopping behavior. Consumers often buy multiple units in the hopes of finding the one they desire or collecting the entire series. Retailers, manufacturers, and industry analysts expect these low-cost, surprise-filled products to be big sellers this holiday season, appealing to both adults and children.
The scarcity and high resale prices of the Labubu dolls have kept them off the top toy lists, but the blind box trend has taken the market by storm. Retailers have doubled their assortment of these mystery-packaged items, offering options from brands like Baby Three, MGA Entertainment's Miniverse, Zuru's Minibrands, and Aphmau.
