logo
episode-header-image
Jul 3
24m 22s

The Labubu Lowdown

THE ECONOMIC TIMES
About this episode

Labubu, the “cute but creepy” character from The Monsters series by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, has taken over the world….and now India. Once a niche designer toy, Labubu is now a global collectible phenomenon fuelled by Pop Mart’s blind box strategy and major celebrity endorsements from Rihanna to Karan Johar. With prices ranging from ₹4,000 to over ₹1 crore, Labubu is driving a fast-growing collectibles trend in India. From social media unboxings to resale site frenzies, the demand shows no signs of waning. Host Dia rekhi talks to resellers Nikhil Jain of City Kicks India and Abbas Ali Zaveri, founder at Hype Fly India about why Indian collectors are rushing to join this global club.

Tune in:

You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & Twitter

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, The Curious Case of IndusInd Bank, The Influencer Economy’s Quiet Reset, India’s Biggest Hospital has a Chronic Illness and much more.


Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

Credits:  SmartKicks, Wu’s World, Jiny Maeng, Christi Fritz

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 22
South Capital: TN’s Playbook of Distrubuted Growth
In this episode of South Capital, the focus is on Tamil Nadu, India's manufacturing powerhouse and one of its most industrialized states. Known as the “Detroit of Asia” for its auto sector and the “Manchester of the South” for its textiles, Tamil Nadu plays a pivotal role in Indi ... Show More
27m 7s
Aug 21
Rare Earths to Rx: Explaining the India-China Reset
For months, India has felt the squeeze of China’s export chokehold on rare earth magnets vital for EVs, fertilizers key to food security, and raw materials that keep pharma running. Automakers faced stalled assembly lines, farmers braced for higher costs, and drugmakers feared su ... Show More
29m 4s
Aug 19
India’s Setting New Rules for the Digital Space, but Why?
Another week, another rulebook for India’s digital economy this time, a competition code. The Digital Competition Bill (DCB) would flip enforcement from ex-post litigation to ex-ante guardrails for “systemically significant” platforms, banning self-preferencing, data misuse again ... Show More
20m 39s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
India's mega-wedding: Party like a billionaire
Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, celebrated his son’s marriage with a series of star-studded bashes. The guest-list included Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Kim Kardashian. Katy Perry, Rihanna and Justin Bieber gave private performances.Lucy Hockings speaks to BBC Business pres ... Show More
25m 52s
Aug 2024
Chappell Roan, the cult of celebrity, and fans going too far + Headlines
Mid-west princess and pop megastar Chappell Roan says some fan behavior is ‘abusive’, bordering on ‘harassment’, and ‘weird’. In a series of TikToks posted to her account, the singer has outlined her immense discomfort at the behaviors of fans approaching her on the street, deman ... Show More
20m 54s
Jul 18
📀 “DJ VC” — The Chainsmokers’ VC fund. Uber’s robo-chauffeur. The Fed’s situationship.
TBOY Live Chicago, July 23rd - tickets on sale here: https://www.axs.com/events/949346/the-best-one-yet-podcast-ticketsThe Chainsmokers’ music duo launched a VC fund… but their investing secret is their schedule.Uber is spending $2B on Lucid’s luxe electric cars to deliver its fo ... Show More
23 m
Aug 20
Young Black Man DESTROYS Woke Leftist in CRT Debate on Jubilee | Ep 162
On this episode of "The Liz Wheeler Show," Liz is joined by the young man who goes by the alias "Mat Nuclear" online. Earlier this week, Nuclear went viral when he got the best of actress Amanda Seales on the popular debate show "Surrounded" by Jubilee Media. Plus, Liz examines t ... Show More
52m 3s
Aug 8
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 “Bring a Friend” — Hinge’s double-date. Netflix’s fake K-Pop band. Golf’s profit puppy.
The #1 movie on Netflix is also the #1 album on Spotify… K-Pop Demon Hunters reveals the #1 metric in media.Hinge is defying the dating app downturn… because women love double dates.Despite rainy summer weather, Titleist had its best Q ever… and golfballs are its Profit Puppies.P ... Show More
22m 57s
Jul 11
🧁 “Frosted Freaks” — Kellogg’s Nutella deal. Netflix’s Anime AI. The Pentagon’s rare earth stock.
Kellogg’s cereal brands were just acquired by Italy’s Ferrero (Nutella)… but it’s really about the mascots.Netflix’s most popular content is actually Anime… and Japan’s Anime shows an AI growth hack. The Pentagon just bought a rare earth metal stock… So is that strategy or social ... Show More
22m 11s
Feb 2025
Deepseek | China's New AI Model Destroys American ChatGPT | CnB Ft. Govind Menon & Shreyas Manohar
China's budget-friendly AI model, DeepSeek, is making waves, sparking debates on its impact on global AI competition. On the health front, we break down the Guillain-Barré Syndrome outbreak in Pune and what it means for public hygiene. Music lovers, Sonu Nigam has called out the ... Show More
58m 48s
Aug 21
Why fake weddings are India’s latest party trend
The big fat 'fake' Indian wedding is social media’s latest party trend. Fake wedding parties have taken the world and social media by storm with people getting together to enjoy all the fun of a wedding party: the food, Bollywood music, dancing and glamorous outfits. But there ar ... Show More
10m 5s
Dec 2024
Is Hawk Tuah Girl's cryptocurrency a scam?
Headlines: Women launch class action against BHP and Rio Tinto over alleged decades of sexual harassment, Anthony Albanese supports exclusion zones near houses of worship, Saudi Arabia chosen to host FIFA world cup, and HECS balances will be slashed from today. Deep Dive: A viral ... Show More
21m 48s
Jul 17
🐟 “CodBar” — David’s fish protein bar. Labubu: Beanie Baby or Barbie? Pittsburgh’s Austin-of-the-East.
David, the $725M protein bar brand, dropped its most controversial product yet… Cod fish.Pittsburgh just snagged $90B in AI investments… If all goes to plan, Pitt becomes the Austin of the East.Labubu dolls are now bigger than all of Mattel… but will these viral dolls become Bean ... Show More
21m 32s