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The Labubu collectible toy craze, which has sparked shopping frenzies in cities worldwide, is also taking hold in the Czech Republic, where beverage bistros Bubblify report extreme interest in the furry figures.
Pop Mart, the Chinese company behind Labubu, recently suspended sales in its UK stores following scuffles and safety concerns as customers competed to buy the pricey collectibles. In Prague, while no fights have broken out, Bubblify manager Andrea Fenn says arguments have occurred amid the high demand.
“Otherwise, people are disciplined,” Fenn told Newstream. “The interest in the Labubu figures we offer at our Bubblify branches is truly enormous. We receive dozens of messages from customers every day. They ask if we have Labubu in stock, when more will arrive, at which specific branches they are available, or when we are planning competitions.”
Labubu figures cost CZK 1,490 (about USD 65) and are typically released in limited quantities, fueling the rush to secure one. According to Fenn, about 75 percent of buyers are women.
Despite the hype, the craze remains largely local. “Labuba is almost exclusively purchased by Czech customers. Our social media followers are mostly local fans, so tourists often don’t even know about our offer, and if one of them does buy a Labuba, it’s usually by chance,” Fenn said.
Bubblify initially introduced Labubu figures in its Dubai branches before expanding the concept to the Czech Republic, where collections such as The Monsters Have a Seat and The Monsters Exciting Macarons are particularly popular.
Reservations required
The bubble tea café, with locations in Wenceslas Square, Vivo Hostivař, Europark, Máj, and Smíchov, recently introduced a reservation system to notify fans about new Labubu releases. To manage demand, purchases of certain figures are limited to one per person with the purchase of a bubble tea.
Labubu toys were originally created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and have become iconic, particularly in Asia, where their limited availability, high collector value, and widespread counterfeiting have turned them into prized investment items. Some editions now resell for thousands of dollars.
The craze has been amplified by celebrity fans like Rihanna and Dua Lipa, helping transform Labubu into a social media sensation and luxury collectible with a growing cult following.
However, Labubu’s association with high fashion—such as collaborations with LVMH—and soaring resale prices have drawn criticism. What began as collectible art is increasingly seen as out of reach for ordinary fans. In the Czech Republic, some clothing designers have condemned Labubu as tasteless.
