Chinese toy-maker Pop Mart has opened a new flagship store at Shimao Festival City, marking the brand's second flagship on Nanjing Road. The addition highlights both Pop Mart's expanding influence in trend culture and the pedestrian street's strong appeal to major brands.

The Shimao store covers nearly 800 square meters across two floors and is designed as an immersive space for pop-culture collectibles. Its full-glass facade blurs the line between the street and the interior, creating an open, theatrical setting that naturally draws passersby inside.

Four major character zones unfold on the first floor.

- The Labubu area draws inspiration from Nordic forest villages, combining warm, earthy tones with plush textures to create a soothing, natural atmosphere that reflects the character's original habitat.

- The Dimoo zone uses cloud and cottage motifs to build a dreamlike scene, with the character standing among starry vine decorations that suggest a world of "coexistence and encounters".

- The Skullpanda section features low-saturation pink and purple tones to create a cosmic setting, enhanced by metallic and matte planetary elements that blend sci-fi coolness with a soft sense of fantasy.

- The Molly zone offers a bright, artistic environment with hand-drawn touches that depict the bond between Baby Molly and Baby Tabby, resulting in a playful and imaginative space.

The opening also reflects Pop Mart's ongoing efforts to elevate its offline retail experience. Since last year, the company has been refining store layouts, themes, and product structures to reduce the feel of a conventional commercial space and build environments with stronger storytelling and interaction.

In major cities, Pop Mart is exploring deeper links between its characters and local culture. In Shanghai, the brand opened the first Hirono store in February and brought its jewelry label popop to Plaza 66 in June. It has also taken part in major cultural events across the city: the Twinkle Twinkle character joined the Shanghai International Light Festival in September, and The Monsters' 10th-anniversary tour opened in Shanghai in October. During the first week of the Shimao store's launch, Pop Mart's newly signed character Hatti will hold its first offline fan meet-up, further strengthening connections with local fans.

Pop Mart opened its first Nanjing Road flagship store at HY Plaza in 2022, which was then the company's largest store worldwide. With the addition of the larger Shimao outlet, a dual-flagship presence has now taken shape on the iconic street.

If you go

Pop Mart (Shimao store)

Address: Rooms G03 & M03, 1F & 2F, Shimao Festival City, No 829 East Nanjing Road

Pop Mart (Global flagship store)

Address: Rooms S-105, 117206 & 207, HY Plaza, No 288 East Nanjing Road

Sources: Shanghai Observer and official Xiaohongshu account of Pop Mart