Labubu turns up at Five Below, delighting bargain hunters

A Labubu showing up at Five Below is a clear sign that the hunt has moved beyond blind-box drops and resale tabs. The June 1 MSN-syndicated clip from Unique Daily showed a creator stumbling onto what the post described as a Labubu during a casual store visit, which is exactly the kind of low-friction find that makes collectors stop and look twice.

That matters because Five Below is not where most fans expect to find a character tied to premium blind-box culture. Pop Mart’s U.S. site describes THE MONSTERS as a Kasing Lung creation inspired by Nordic myths, and its LABUBU lineup stretches from blind-box releases to higher-priced plush figures. Pop Mart has said Labubu sales exceeded 100 million units in 2025, a scale that helps explain how the character has pushed from specialty toy shelves into mainstream bargain retail.

The bigger business picture backs that up. Reuters-cited reporting on March 25 said Pop Mart’s 2025 revenue rose 185% to 37.12 billion yuan, or $5.38 billion, while shares fell more than 20% as investors questioned how long the Labubu surge could last. A Five Below sighting does not answer that question, but it does show how far the brand has traveled. What started as collector heat now shows up in a chain known for budget-friendly impulse buys, where a surprise find can feel as good as a planned drop.

Five Below’s own numbers show why the timing fits. On June 3, the retailer said first-quarter fiscal 2026 net sales climbed 32.5% to $1.3 billion, while comparable sales rose 22.7%. That gives the chain room to keep leaning into trend-driven merchandise, including the kind of viral collectible that can turn an ordinary errand into a quick hit of treasure-hunt energy.

The catch is authenticity. Media and consumer-safety coverage in 2025 warned that Labubu’s popularity has fueled counterfeits, and the standard advice has been to buy through Pop Mart or verified retailers and check for authentication markers such as holographic stickers and QR codes. That makes a Five Below Labubu moment more interesting than a simple toy clip. It sits right at the intersection of mass-market availability, bargain pricing, and the very real risk of low-value hype.

For collectors, the takeaway is simple: Labubu is no longer confined to specialty channels. If it turns up at Five Below, the character has officially become part of everyday retail surprise, and that changes the map of where the next find can happen.