Fake Labubu dolls that could pose a choking hazard for young children have flooded the UK market, a consumer standards body has warned.
Legitimate Labubu toys, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and sold by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, have become a viral and profitable sensation around the world. The palm-sized plushie, which has a bunny body, elf-like face and sharp teeth, is so popular that genuine versions are becoming increasingly difficult to come by.
In May, Pop Mart announced that it was temporarily suspending all in-store sales of the collectible across the UK following chaotic scenes of crowd surges and reported fights. Last week, thieves in the Los Angeles area broke into a store and made off with thousands of dollars worth of stock.
The toy’s massive popularity has led to a wave of fakes, and many have been deemed unsafe, according to Britain’s Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
In a warning it described as “urgent” on its website, the CTSI reported that thousands of dangerous counterfeits have been seized by their teams across the country, often as a result of complaints from parents.
