20,000 orders a day! Fujian sellers discover new business opportunities

In recent years, the blind box economy has developed rapidly, especially in the field of cross-border e-commerce.

Recently, a seller in Xiamen, Fujian, has come up with a new way to play with "blind boxes", with average daily sales reaching 20,000 orders!

It is understood that the seller attracts users' attention by opening blind boxes during TiKTok live broadcast. At the same time, Apple products such as iPhones are used as prizes. If someone wins a prize during the live broadcast, the seller will directly choose to place an order at a store in the United States and then send the prize directly to the buyer. If the buyer wins a prize he doesn't like, he can choose to let the seller take it back at a 30% discount.

For consumers, this is a sure-win deal, and the seller not only gains traffic but also sales.

In overseas markets, many sellers use blind boxes to conduct live streaming to sell goods. The live streaming is often conducted in the form of blind boxes such as knocking golden eggs, giving away lucky bags, and lucky shovels.

Because this model is very mysterious, it can stimulate consumers' desire to buy to a great extent, and the conversion rate is very high. In addition, this live broadcast is also full of entertainment during the viewing process, which successfully captured young consumers.

In TikTok’s UK store, an account that focuses on selling blind boxes achieved monthly sales of $130,000.

However, it should be noted that this sales model has certain risks. If the pricing of the blind box and the actual price of the product do not comply with the platform regulations, the account may be blocked.

While sellers are seizing the blind box business opportunities, they must also pay attention to compliance in the product sales process.

No more selling! Amazon urgently removes blind box products

On the Amazon platform, many sellers have expanded the blind box culture to their own products, selling a variety of blind box products. Sellers usually freely combine some blind box products according to the categories of their store products. For example, clothing blind boxes, cosmetics blind boxes, electronic product blind boxes, etc. These blind box products are often very cost-effective and are widely welcomed by consumers.

However, just as these sellers were reaping the benefits, news broke that Amazon had banned the sale of blind boxes or similar products, and had removed blind box products that sellers were suspected of violating regulations from the shelves.

As for why the products were removed from the shelves, Amazon stated that blind boxes and products similar to blind boxes violated the platform's policies, but Amazon did not specify which policy was violated.

The editor believes that there may be two reasons. First, foreign countries have very strict supervision on products with probability or uncertainty, such as blind boxes. There will be some specific restrictions and requirements, which makes it easy for sellers to violate the regulations.  

Secondly, the probability of blind box products will increase the chances of receiving bad reviews and complaints, which will affect the safety of the seller's store. If the seller is not careful, the store will be closed. Therefore, Amazon will have stronger supervision over such products.

Therefore, although blind boxes are very popular and many merchants will use blind boxes to clear inventory, there are certain risks in selling products in the form of blind boxes on the Amazon platform.

At present, selling blind box products is very likely to touch Amazon’s minefield. Sellers can change their thinking and turn their attention to trendy toys.

Hot trendy toys become a new outlet for overseas expansion

In recent years, there are more and more trendy toy IPs and products that have broken through the circle , and trendy toys have become popular from a niche hobby.

From China to overseas, the demand for trendy toys is very high. Many people have become trendy toy bloggers and often share their trendy toys on social platforms.

As competition in the domestic market becomes increasingly fierce, more and more Chinese trendy toy brands are turning their attention to overseas markets.

As China's leading trendy toy brand, Pop Mart has been accelerating its global expansion.

Since the beginning of this year, Pop Mart has begun to focus on North America, Europe, and Oceania, opening its first local offline stores in London, England, Auckland, New Zealand, Los Angeles, USA, and Melbourne, Australia, and its first overseas flagship store in Seoul, South Korea. According to statistics, Pop Mart has more than 350 stores worldwide, covering 23 countries and regions.

Pop Mart's overseas business has blossomed in many areas, and its overseas revenue in the first half of the year also saw rapid growth, with sales soaring by 161.7% compared to last year.

MINISO's independent brand 52TOYS has also followed in Pop Mart's footsteps and expanded overseas.

Currently, 52TOYS has entered multiple markets including Japan, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

52TOYS focuses on "collectible toys" and has currently formed a diversified product line, including blind boxes, mecha transformations, static dolls, action figures, and designer/artist toys.

52TOYS seeks local well-known toy brands and designers as distribution channels by participating in exhibitions around the world to meet the needs of the local market.

It is worth mentioning that 52TOYS entered Amazon Japan in 2020. Its main product, the collectible transforming toy BEATSBOX, is very popular in the Japanese market. This product has driven 52TOYS 's sales by 300% in 2021.

When it comes to trendy toys, we have to mention the American trendy toy giant Funko.

Funko has experienced rapid development in the past five years, with the company's revenue growing from US$500 million five years ago to US$1 billion.

Currently, Funko has three major businesses, including: core collectibles (mainly Pop! Big-Headed Dolls), Loungefly (women's bags, accessories and other products) and others (including games, NFTs, etc.).

According to Funko's second quarter 2022 financial report, the company's net sales in the second quarter reached US$320 million, a year-on-year increase of 33.7%. Among them, the net sales of core collectibles reached US$230 million, a year-on-year increase of 21.3%; the net sales of the Loungefly brand reached US$70 million, a year-on-year increase of 114.3%.

According to Funko's financial report data, the top ten IPs that contributed the most to Funko's revenue in the second quarter of this year were: Star Wars, Marvel, Stranger Things, Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness, Pokémon, Disney, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, Five Nights at Freddy's, and Disney Villains.

In the first half of this year, Funko's net sales reached an all-time high of $620 million, up 46.7% from the same period last year. It is worth noting that its e-commerce platform contributed a large part of its sales.

Blind boxes and figures are the main categories in the trendy toy market, and have grown significantly in recent years. For sellers who want to develop trendy toy products, it should be noted that most trendy toy products in the international market are tied to animation, film, and games. They mainly sell IP feelings, and shaping the IP of trendy toys is the core of success. New sellers can rely on IP to attract customers at the beginning, and IP products can guarantee a certain consumer stickiness.

It should also be noted that trendy toy products featuring original designs by artists are currently a new trend in the trendy toy market, and sellers can seize this opportunity.

New Business Opportunities

Blind Box