China’s Blind Box Economy 中国的盲盒经济

By 2030， China’s private consumption is set to reach a staggering $12.7tn. In such a competitive and growing market brands need to stand out from the crowd.

到2030年，中国的个人消费规模将达到惊人的12.7万亿美元。在这样一个竞争激烈、不断壮大的市场中，各品牌需要脱颖而出。

One recent trend is the blind box， where customers purchase a package from a brand containing unknown products. While the concept itself is nothing new （first appearing with Japanese gashapon culture in the 1980s）， it’s a craze that’s grabbed the imagination of young Chinese consumers.

盲盒就是最近流行的一种新风潮，消费者购买某个品牌的盒子时，并不知道里面装的是什么产品。虽然盲盒这一概念本身并不新鲜（初见于20世纪80年代日本的扭蛋文化），但它成功激起了中国年轻消费群体的兴趣，逐渐风靡。

On Weibo， the number of readings of blind box has reached 270m， with over 289，000 related discussions. According to the Baidu index， blind boxes now have the same order of magnitude as massively popular escape room games， KTV bars and internet cafes.

在微博上，有关盲盒的阅读量已达到2.7亿，相关讨论超过28.9万条。百度指数显示，盲盒相关数据的数量级与大受欢迎的密室逃脱游戏、KTV酒吧和网吧相同。

So， are blind boxes a bet worth taking for brands？ Today we provide a glimpse into this exciting new China market.

那么，对于品牌而言，盲盒值得一试吗？今天，我们就来简单介绍一下这个令人兴奋的中国新兴市场。

Lanvin’s on board

浪凡入局

Blind box products are incredibly social—with consumers comparing and discussing their excitement at rare finds over Chinese social media.

盲盒产品具有极强的社交属性。消费者购买到稀有款，会在社交平台上互相比较、讨论，分享他们的兴奋。

That’s why renowned luxury brand Lanvin took advantage of this social buzz with its campaign for Chinese Valentine’s day. This involved a blind box lottery on its WeChat Mini Program， where for 500 yuan consumers entered a draw to redeem prizes at Lanvin vend-ing machines containing silk scarves， sneakers and even handbags.

正因如此，知名奢侈品牌浪凡利用这一社交热点，推出了七夕节活动：消费者支付500元，在微信小程序上抽盲盒，然后通过浪凡的自动售货机兑换丝巾、运动鞋，甚至手提包等奖品。

The campaign was immensely successful at gaining the attention of young Chinese consumers， attracting over 50，000 game-players within a month and garnering over five times the daily average views of Lanvin’s WeChat articles.

这个活动非常成功地引起了中国年轻消费者的注意，在一个月内吸引了五万多人参与游戏，日均浏览量是浪凡微信公众号文章的五倍多。

Small boxes， big business

小盒子，大生意

The blind box market is predicted to soar to 30bn yuan by 2024.

到2024年，盲盒市场规模预计将猛增至300亿元。

They are an example of probabilistic selling—where even after making payment， consumers have no idea what’s inside. Random-draw marketing has a long history worldwide， from baseball cards and bubble-gum packets to the Pokémon card craze of the 1990s. This concept has been revolutionized for the modern day， with Chinese consumers hooked on the addictive feeling of suspense.

盲盒是概率销售的一个案例，消费者即使在付款之后，也不知道里面有什么。从棒球卡、盒装泡泡糖到20世纪90年代的宝可梦卡热潮，随机抽奖营销在世界范围内历史悠久。随着中国消费者日渐沉迷于那种令人上瘾的悬念感，盲盒这一概念在当今社会已经发生革命性变化。

These small boxes are big business to the highly-educated， white-collar， youthful buyers they attract. Women （often from first-tier cities） account for over 62% of blind box sales. Overall， a staggering 74% of consumers fall between the ages of 18–34.

小小的盲盒吸引了大批白领阶层的高学历年轻消费者，这是一笔大生意。在盲盒销量中，女性（通常来自一线城市）消费占比超过62%。总体而言，18—34岁的消费者占比高达74%。

The China market leader in this sector is Pop Mart. Its toy figurines are sold in sets of twelve （the most famous of which is the “Molly” doll）. Each set has the potential to include one rare hidden figurine that only appears in around one out of every 144 boxes.

在中国，盲盒市场的领军者是泡泡玛特。它的玩具摆件以12个为一套售卖（其中最为出名的是“莫莉”系列玩偶）。每一套都可能含有稀有隐藏款，但是大约每144个盲盒里才会出现一个。

What’s the appeal of blind boxes？

盲盒的吸引力在哪？

The sheer variety of industries and brands offering blind boxes has caught gen Z’s attention. Dozens of brands including Starbucks， McDonald’s， Pringles， Amazon and Ikea have jumped on the blind box bandwagon1. Even the Chinese travel industry has got on board， with airlines selling blind box domestic flights to randomly-chosen destinations.

各种各样的行业和品牌都在出售盲盒，这引起了Z世代的注意。星巴克、麦当劳、品客、亚马逊和宜家等数十个品牌都加入了盲盒风潮，就连中国旅游业也紧跟潮流。航空公司开始销售目的地随机的国内盲盒航班。

For Chinese gen Z and millennial generations （raised in periods of relative affluence）， the game-like elements of surprise and excitement have stimulated buyer curiosity. Strong subcultures have emerged， with a large additional market for modified toys and products.

对于中国的Z世代和千禧一代（在相对富裕的时代长大）而言，游戏般的惊喜感和兴奋感激发了他们作为买家的好奇心。强大的亚文化已经兴起，改装玩具和产品形成了另一个巨大的市场。

Major 3C brands such as Lenovo are also taking notice of gamified shopping experiences. A “big blind box” was launched jointly between Lenovo and Pop Mart， offering a double-blind form of gameplay. The first open revealed a Lenovo Xiaoxin Pro 14 and Lenovo Xiaoxin×YUKI figurine， as well as other randomly selected products. A rare open new card allowed lucky customers to redeem additional high-value Lenovo products and collectable dolls.

联想等各大3C品牌也开始关注游戏化的购物体验。联想和泡泡玛特联合推出了一个采用双盲玩法的“大盲盒”。打开盲盒，首先呈现的是联想小新Pro 14、联想小新×YUKI联名摆件，以及其他随机选择的产品。开出稀有开“新”卡的幸运消费者还可以额外兑换高价值的联想产品，以及有收藏价值的玩偶。

With a strong preference for purchases allowing self-expression and a sense of fun， Chinese gen Z are willing to pay for hobbies that drive emotional satisfaction—and blind boxes are one extremely satisfying way to do this.