Fandom in the Spotlight

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t malls all across the U.S., pop-culture fanatics of all ages are toting around bright red bags that read “Life is for fun.” These eye-catching paper bags
come from a brightly lit store packed wall-to-wall with adorable plush, collectibles, home goods, and other licensed merch: Miniso.

Miniso is a Chinese lifestyle brand that sells merchandise from some of the most popular franchises, including Harry Potter, Disney, Peanuts, and Sanrio. In the past year and a half, the company has opened more than 200 stores in the U.S., from Santa Monica, California, to Times Square in New York City. Drawing in shoppers young and young at heart, the store is a whimsical wonderland full of fandom-infused, officially licensed products that shoppers never knew they needed.

“Miniso is all about bringing fun and joy to everyday shopping,” says Tom Bartlebaugh, CEO of Miniso USA. “We’ve transformed a simple store visit into a playful, immersive experience. From the moment you walk in, it’s all about discovery, which is often missing from typical retail. We’re constantly launching new items, so there’s something fresh to find with every visit. Our store layout is designed to spark curiosity, encourage browsing, and turn everyday shopping into something more inspiring.”

And no two stores are the same. Each Miniso location features unique elements that encourage shoppers to explore different locations when they visit a new city. Some stores are themed around a specific license, such as the Santa Monica store, which features a beachy Stitch facade and a giant Stitch display. 

As Miniso expanded in the U.S. over the last few years, the company has tweaked its strategy, shifting from primarily home goods and other lifestyle items to offering more toys, plush, and collectibles on its shelves. Some stores even specialize in mystery box toys that fans buy in hopes of collecting a full set of stylized figures, plush, or dioramas.  

“You never know which one you will get until you open it, and that’s a big part of the fun,” Bartlebaugh says. “With so many collectible themes and characters, there is something for every fan.”

Whether it’s encouraging fans to discover what’s in store at Miniso’s locations or uncovering what’s hiding inside a tiny surprise box, Miniso’s unique retail strategy hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

Funmaker, a collectible brand created by Funko co-founder Mike Becker, launched its Japanese-inspired lifestyle brand, Rokimoto, at Miniso in Times Square in March. 

“If you went back a year, our perception of Miniso was that it was fantastic, but it wasn’t as collectible-driven or toy-driven,” says founder and president of Golden Sombrero (Funmaker’s licensing agency) Bart Silberman. “Now, they’re opening stores that are collectible forward, toy forward, and blind box forward. The way they’re putting that out there, in our minds, is the best in the business.”

Silberman also says that Miniso immediately understood the Rokimoto brand and was eager to make it a hit with fans and shoppers.

“[Miniso] just embraced it almost before they had even seen one of the toys,” Silberman says. “We admired the way that Miniso presented the product. The stores are clean and bright, they have great service, and they’re organized incredibly well.”

Funmaker saw that Rokimoto would fit right in on the retailer’s shelves, which led to the brand’s exclusive launch in Miniso stores. Silberman likened Miniso to a “beacon” in mall complexes nationwide, with its bright overhead lights luring in shoppers to a world of fandom-fueled fun.

“Miniso is doing the job in a way that is different than others and presenting collectibles in a light that is fresh and fun,” Silberman says. “It doesn’t just feel like doing the most obvious thing, going to the usual suspects and loading action figures or toys up to the ceiling.” 

The bright, clean aesthetic of Miniso stores has made them popular with influencers and other social media users around the world. The hashtag #miniso has more than 1 million Instagram posts at the time of publication. It is filled with images of immaculately displayed toys and products, shopping hauls, and fans reacting to all the pop-culture goodness Miniso has to offer. 

Dawn, an influencer from Scotland who goes by @itsnintendawn on Instagram, was invited to check out Miniso’s new location in Edinburgh when it opened in March. As an avid collector of Pokémon, One Piece, and Sanrio products, Dawn was grateful to experience the collectibles and plushies Miniso offers first-hand in her home country. 

“My favorite thing to shop from Miniso is its unique selection of blind box toys," Dawn says. "It has so many different collabs with different characters, you can get lots of variety. I personally love the Disney and Sanrio selections. I used to always pop into the London Miniso near Chinatown when I visited. I’m so happy I have one nearby now.”

In April, TikTok was flooded with videos of influencers checking out a new Stitch pop-up at Miniso locations across the U.S. The new pop-ups celebrated an expansion of existing Stitch merch at Miniso ahead of the live-action movie’s launch in May. If Experiment 626 didn’t invade a Miniso near you, there are even more special events to come that will highlight other brands and characters.

Throughout the rest of the year, Miniso will continue its speedy expansion through a “cluster-based” approach, opening multiple stores in cities that don’t have their own Miniso yet. Miniso also hosts limited-time pop-up shops, interactive campaigns, limited product launches, and more for fans to test the waters before diving into a full-blown Miniso addiction. 

“We’re excited about what’s ahead for Miniso in the U.S. in 2025,” Bartlebaugh says. “We want to bring the brand’s fun, design-driven experience to more communities nationwide, but it’s not just about adding more stores; it’s about doing it thoughtfully ... Ultimately, our goal is to bring joy through our products, create meaningful moments, and build lasting relationships with every community we serve.”

The next time you are at your local mall or shopping center, keep your eye out for the red paper bags and Miniso’s bright beacon of pop-culture fun.