The growing popularity of "blind boxes" has spawned a new industry in Mainland China in recent years. Similar to gashapon vending machines, blind boxes draw on people's craving for mystery, since it is only after the box is opened that one can tell what toys one has bought. Mostly targeting toy lovers, blind boxes appeal to customers by offering the chance to receive valuable or limited-edition products.

Link CentralWalk in Shenzhen’s Futian District, now undergoing a major renovation, early this year brought in TOP TOY, Shenzhen’s first outlet of the fast-growing toy chain, to offer toy lovers young and old a one-stop platform for trendy toys. Bringing together toys and popular culture, the shop provides not only blind box toys, but also a range of popular toy categories, including artistic toys, comic figurines, model toys and toy bricks. Additionally, MINISO, TOP TOY’s parent company, is collaborating with various brands, including The Palace Museum, Tencent, Disney, Marvel, Sanrio Hello Kitty, Kakao Friends and Gundam, to create new toy products.

 

Trying out toys and taking perfect selfies

To enhance the shopping experience, TOP TOY offers various toys for customers to try out, including toys from the ZURU, Ultraman and League of Legends series, desktop toys and interactive toys, a wide variety of alloy model cars, fidget spinners and ball-jointed dolls. In addition, TOP TOY offers interesting photo spots – including a life-size, high-likeness Wonder Woman bust, a locomotive scene as well as a showcase for toy brick models – making it a fun, experiential destination for toy aficionados.