"Blind bag" business is booming

From a trend of tearing open blind bags and blind boxes of Baby Three toys, many industries have applied this form to boost sales.

According to data from YouNet Media, in the second half of 2024, art toys such as Labubu and Baby Three recorded more than 3.12 million discussions and attracted the participation of 1.5 million people on social networks in Vietnam.

Not only a phenomenon on social networks, the art toy trend also recorded extremely impressive sales. According to YouNet ECI's EcomHeat platform, in the last 6 months of 2024, 293,000 products related to Labubu, Baby Three from the top 30 shops on Shopee and TikTok Shop were sold. On average, nearly 49,000 products related to Labubu and Baby Three are sold each month.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Xuyen, owner of the TikTok Chanh Beauty channel - one of the prominent channels about tearing Baby Three blind bags, is also a seller of this very "hot" product. Ms. Xuyen said that she just entered the market before Tet and realized that it was very attractive. Many parents came to her direct store in Binh Tan district, Ho Chi Minh City to buy and wanted their children to appear in the clip. Since Tet, the prices of Baby Three models have increased, the popular model increased by 5,000 - 15,000 VND/box, the high-end model increased by 150,000 - 200,000 VND/box and is expected to be hot until the upcoming Valentine's Day on February 14.

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam, Market Analysis Director of YouNet ECI, said that from the above forecasts, the trend of blind bag-tearing and blind box-unboxing will certainly continue and grow this year thanks to the combination of entertainment and shopping.

The trend of hunting for Baby Three blind boxes is still very hot recently. Photo: Duy Phu

Not only is the Baby Three blind unboxing trend getting hotter, but this form of business is also spreading to other industries. According to Mr. Do Duy Thanh, Director of FnB Director Consulting Company and Horeca Business School, the "blind bag" trend is being strongly responded to by young people and modern customers, especially in the culinary field. This is not only a temporary trend but also has the potential to become an effective business tool if implemented properly. This trend works best in models with young customers who like new experiences, especially fast food, milk tea, snacks or brands with a youthful, dynamic style.

One of the most important benefits of blind bags is that they stimulate curiosity and willingness to spend. The element of surprise makes it easier for consumers to spend more money to discover the products inside, thereby helping brands increase average order value.

According to records, recently, some milk tea brands such as Gong Cha and The Alley have applied the blind bag tearing method by giving away a surprise gift when customers buy a combo. This helps businesses not need to reduce prices but still effectively boost revenue, because customers feel they get more value for their money. Cheese Coffee also launched the "Limited Edition Blind Bag" campaign. Customers can buy a random bag containing one of the brand's three types of collectible cups. This campaign created a strong media effect, causing many customers to hunt for and share their experiences on social networks. The Katinat chain has also just launched a blind bag gift program with drinks, causing customers to come back many times to try their luck and collect the full set of products. "Although blind bags have many benefits, businesses need to pay attention to some factors to avoid causing negative reactions from customers. First of all, the value of the product inside the blind bag must be commensurate with the amount of money customers spend. If customers feel they receive an unattractive product, they may lose confidence in the brand. Businesses also need to ensure transparency in the appearance rate of products to avoid creating a feeling of being deceived," Mr. Thanh noted.

Disappointed by the blind box

Ms. Tran Thi Lan (living in Tan Phu district, Ho Chi Minh City) said that she bought 2 boxes of fashion blinds last Tet out of curiosity. Accordingly, the supermarket sells blinds with general information and promises that customers who buy together will make more profit than buying each item. Specifically, for only 199,000 VND/box, customers can receive products worth from 200,000 VND to 2 million VND. "When I bought it, I was very excited. The whole family shook the box, chose the box, lifted it up and put it down, and then filmed a clip when opening it. It felt as exciting as receiving a gift" - Ms. Lan recounted. However, both times she opened the box, she got an item she didn't need, so she had to find someone else to transfer it to because the product could not be returned.

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