Commenting on the Pop Mart toys craze, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing Hannah H. Chang said, “Pop Mart taps into human psychology brilliantly. The blind-box concept and limited editions create a sense of scarcity and surprise that fuels demand.” However, she also noted that people get used to novelty and surprise, and it is not easy for people to stay engaged. She added that the secondary market also undermines Pop Mart blind-box strategy as buyers can purchase the exact figure they want risk-free. Assoc Prof Chang also pointed out that it is extremely difficult for a cultural phenomenon to stay relevant, and cited the example of the Beanie Babies craze of the 1990s, to warn that Pop Mart risks fading into obscurity without a storytelling depth
