Pop Mart's Midwest expansion started with Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois—one of the largest enclosed malls in the country and a bellwether for whether blind-box culture can thrive outside coastal cities. After three months of operation, the answer is a clear yes.
The Midwest Test Case
Coastal skeptics assumed Pop Mart would struggle in the heartland. The data says otherwise. The Woodfield store reportedly hit its first-month sales target in 12 days. The customer base skews slightly older than coastal stores—more millennials, fewer teens—and the average transaction value is higher.
Why? Midwest collectors tend to be more deliberate. They research before they buy, they complete series rather than cherry-pick, and they are less influenced by TikTok trends. This makes them more valuable customers in the long run.
Store Design
Standard Pop Mart template with one notable addition: a "Collector's Corner" with glass display cases showing complete series sets. This is both aspirational (look what you could build) and educational (here is what each figure looks like outside the box). Smart for a market where many customers are encountering blind boxes for the first time.
Local Flavor
The store hosted a "Deep Dish & Draw" launch event for a new Labubu series—pizza and blind boxes, because Chicago. The event sold out in 4 hours and generated enough social media content to trend locally. Pop Mart is learning that localized events build community faster than generic marketing.
Explore our curated collection: shop Labubu Box.