Labubu toymaker Pop Mart plans to establish its European headquarters in London, reports the South China Morning Post. This came as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met the company’s founder during a high-profile China visit aimed at rebuilding Britain’s economic ties with China.
“London stands at the heart of the global creative ecosystem, and we are thrilled to plant our European roots there,” Wang said in a statement released by the British government.
As part of that move, Pop Mart would also open seven new bricks-and-mortar shops in the UK, including new outlets in Birmingham, Cardiff and a flagship store on Oxford Street–one of Europe’s busiest shopping destinations. The investment was expected to create more than 150 jobs in the UK, according to the statement. In addition, Pop Mart aimed to launch around 20 additional stores across major European cities over the coming year, the statement said.