Signs for Pop Mart's first Scottish store have appeared in an empty unit on Buchanan Street, Glasgow. The Beijing-based company, known for selling pop-culture figurines and collectibles from franchises including Disney, Teletubbies, Harry Potter and the Care Bears, will take over the unit at 229-249 Buchanan Street.
Store Details and Background
Signage confirms the store is "coming soon" to the city, as reported by the Glasgow Times. As of writing, the retailer has not confirmed an official opening date. The Daily Record has approached Pop Mart for more information.
Pop Mart will take over the former Bee Inspired store that closed in August last year. The Scottish streetwear brand, founded by former footballers Steven Robb and Mark Corcoran, fell into liquidation last November. It was subsequently purchased by Gareth Moore, a former professional rugby player and businessman. The operations of the Glasgow-founded brand have since moved completely online.
Expansion and Popularity
Once open, this will mark the first physical, walk-in store for the brand in Scotland. It currently operates 18 across the UK, located south of the border in areas including Oxford, Southampton, London and Leeds. It also operates vending machine-style pop-ups known as 'Roboshops', with two in Scotland: one in The Entertainer store at the St Enoch Centre in Glasgow, and another in John Lewis at the St James Quarter in Edinburgh.
Founded in 2010, Pop Mart has gained a global audience by merging art, fashion, and pop culture into collectable toys. It became hugely popular as a producer of the Labubu craze that recently swept the world. The brand counts many A-list celebrities as fans, including singers Dua Lipa and Rihanna, both sporting viral monster-themed plush collectibles.
Other Glasgow Openings
It's not the only brand-first opening set for Glasgow. Australian jewellery firm Hari + Harpa is set to open in Silverburn shopping centre later this year, as confirmed on Instagram. No official opening date has been confirmed, although it is said to be soon. It will join more than 100 brands at the centre, including Boots, M&S, Bershka, Pull & Bear, H Beauty by Harrods and Levi's.
Established in 2024, Harli + Harpa specialises in "unique" and "accessible" keepsakes that can be styled, stacked and adorned for self-expression. The brand says its focus is to "celebrate the power of confidence through connection."
