The famous toymaker behind Labubu is facing a wave of criticism after a Chinese factory that supplies Pop Mart was accused of exploiting workers, including minors, The Guardian reports. The dolls became a cultural phenomenon last year as global demand for them grew rapidly.
The Labubu doll, produced by Pop Mart, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has become one of the most popular toys in 2025, with sales reaching 4.8 billion yuan in the first half of the year. Revenue is expected to reach 20 billion yuan, and suppliers have begun to rapidly expand production scale.
According to investigations, Shunjia Toy Factory in Jiangxi Province violated labor laws by employing minors under the age of 18 to work on the same production lines as adults without providing any special protection, which is contrary to the provisions of Chinese law.
The report states that workers were forced to sign blank contracts that did not specify wages, insurance or the nature of the work, and were enforced with high production quotas, assembling up to 4,000 toys per day, and working overtime in excess of legal limits, with some workers working more than 100 hours of overtime per month.
While the plant's official annual production capacity is 12 million toys, the group estimates actual output is more than 24 million, reflecting growing demand pressure.
Pop Mart confirmed that it values the rights of its employees and regularly audits its suppliers. The company said it has launched an internal investigation into the allegations and is committed to taking corrective action as necessary.
A Pop Mart spokesperson said: At Pop Mart we take the welfare and safety of workers at our (original equipment manufacturer) factories very seriously. We conduct regular standardized audits of our OEM supply chain partners, including annual independent third-party audits by an internationally recognized professional auditing company.
"We thank you for the information you provided and are currently investigating this matter. In the future, Pop Mart will continue to strengthen the supply chain audit and supervision mechanism. If the investigation results are true, we will firmly require relevant partners to take comprehensive corrective measures in accordance with local laws and regulations."
In contrast, Shunjia Toy Factory has not yet commented on the matter.