Labubu and Messi Jersey are sold out in China, Beer is just quiet
JAKARTA - The fever of the 2026 World Cup has begun to drive spending in China. Special edition Labubu dolls and Argentina jerseys are in demand. However, the beer industry is not as smooth as usual.
According to a report by Yicai Global, quoted on Saturday, June 13, sales of World Cup merchandise in China soared ahead of the tournament. The product that attracted the most interest was the special edition Labubu and the Adidas jersey of the Argentine national team.
The collaboration between The Monsters, a line owned by Pop Mart International Group, with the World Cup is based on the popularity of Labubu. The products are diverse, ranging from vinyl doll hangers, long-tailed blind boxes, hanging mini lamps, glass glasses, to other products.
Blind box is a surprise package. The buyer does not know the exact contents of the product before it is opened. This model is widely used for collectible toys.
The best-selling product so far is the Labubu "Catch the Win" doll. The doll wears a special jersey and holds the World Cup trophy.
In Shanghai, Adidas' main outlet on Huaihai Road is already full of World Cup attributes. Argentina's home jersey is one of the items whose sales have skyrocketed.
A store employee told Yicai Global that interest in the Argentina jersey rose because many fans expected the 2026 World Cup to be Lionel Messi's last tournament. Messi's jersey is also hunted as a souvenir.
However, a different atmosphere can be seen from the Chinese beer industry. This year's World Cup campaign from beer companies is relatively quiet. In addition to Tsingtao Brewery and Yanjing Brewery which make promotions for watching the match, most brands are not seen doing big campaigns.
A number of beverage companies told Yicai that the match schedule was one of the causes. Many matches are held in the middle of the night until the early afternoon in Beijing time. Hours like that are considered less ideal for boosting beer consumption.
They have also shifted marketing focus to local soccer leagues. Local competitions are seen as more popular and closer to Chinese consumers.
The impact of the World Cup is still felt in the hotel business. According to data from the online travel platform Tongcheng Travel, cited by Yicai Global, searches and reservations for hotel rooms with large televisions or projectors and quality audio systems rose 47 percent on the opening day of the World Cup compared to a year earlier.
The occupancy rate, which is the percentage of rooms that are filled, for that type of room at the end of the first weekend of the tournament has exceeded 90 percent. This figure is much higher than the previous weekend.