Five-hour queues as Pop Mart lands in Manchester
Manchester’s Trafford Centre saw a surge of fans on Saturday, August 16, 2025, as Pop Mart opened its new store at 10am on Lower Regent Crescent. By mid-morning, the line stretched so long that some shoppers waited as much as five hours to get inside. Staff managed steady flows at the door while collectors compared wish lists and traded tips in the queue.
The centre’s own social media summed up the frenzy: “We are still not over this store opening,” one post read, noting five-hour waits on day one. The buzz didn’t fade after the ribbon-cutting either. Through the following days, footfall stayed heavy, with crowds returning for restocks and fresh drops.
Pop Mart’s draw is simple: blind box collectible figurines with a strong design identity and a hit list of characters. Labubu, a mischievous forest creature that’s become a cult favorite among collectors, is the headliner. The new Manchester shop gives northern fans a permanent spot to hunt for sets, swap doubles, and try their luck on fresh cases without waiting for online shipments.
To meet demand, the store is keeping extended hours—10am to 10pm every day of the week. Those hours are set to stay in place through the end of August and into September, giving shoppers a wider window to visit and easing some of the peak-time pressure that defined opening weekend.
What’s fueling the craze—and what it means for UK retail
Blind boxes tap straight into the thrill of the reveal. You pick a character line, buy a sealed box, and only learn which figure you’ve pulled when you open it. Some editions are rare, some are seasonal, and the chase becomes part of the fun. Collectors organize sets by “full case” completions, trade duplicates with friends, and post unboxings that spark the next round of interest.
Pop Mart’s rise has synced with a wider shift toward experience-led retail. Stores double as meet-up spots and photo-friendly spaces, and drops feel like mini events rather than routine shopping. For Trafford Centre—already one of the UK’s busiest malls—the opening created a destination within a destination, pulling in fans who then spill over to nearby food, fashion, and tech outlets.
The queue itself became a scene. People compared pulls, swapped characters, and shared tips about which series might restock later in the week. That sense of community is part of the appeal: collecting isn’t just about the shelf at home, it’s the hunt, the trade, and the moment you finally land the figure you’ve been after.
For Manchester, the store adds a niche that has mostly lived online. Instead of chasing drops through apps and couriers, fans can walk in, assess boxes in person, and pick up display cases and accessories on the spot. It also brings a steady calendar of series rotations and seasonal releases that keep locals coming back.
The economic ripple is straightforward. A high-energy opening drives footfall for the centre and creates new retail roles, while the steady cadence of drops supports repeat visits. It’s the kind of experiential retail that traditional malls have been pushing for—reasons to visit now, not just someday.
Thinking about going?
- Location: Lower Regent Crescent inside Trafford Centre.
- Hours: 10am–10pm daily, with extended hours continuing into September 2025.
- When to visit: Weekday mornings are usually calmer than weekends; expect lines after school and early evenings.
- What to expect: Blind box series rotate; rare figures go fast. If you’re completing a set, bring any duplicates for trades with friends.
The opening weekend made one thing clear: collectible toy culture has real momentum in the UK, and Manchester just got a front-row seat. With long lines, long hours, and a community that treats every unboxing like a small win, the Trafford Centre store looks set to stay busy well beyond the first week buzz.