July wrap-up: Why is everyone buying Labubus? š¹
By Jon Taylor on July 30, 2025How scarcity became Pop Martās greatest marketing weapon.
Walk past any Pop Mart store and youāll likely see a lengthy line of people queuing outside. But why? Peakās Tom Summerfield explores the Labubu playbook for demand-driven retailā¦
Labubuās parent company Pop Mart has redefined collectible toys as luxury items by deliberately engineering product shortages. Turning what was once an impulse buy into an obsession, waitlists and sold-out signs have transformed Labubu from playful figurines into symbols of exclusivity ā and elevated Pop Martās brand to cult status.
Itās been done before ā from Appleās limited initial iPhone releases to Supremeās infamous product ādropsā, the worldās most valuable brands have long used scarcity to transform everyday goods into status symbols. By controlling supply, these brands ignite hype, command premium prices, and keep customers eagerly anticipating every new launch.
Through using these demand generation techniques, supply chain and inventory management has reached a whole new level of sophistication with the powerful addition of AI. But what exactly are the methods behind Pop Martās success with its Labubu dolls?
Industry spotlight
Retail
Traditional markdown strategy is broken. So how do we fix it?
In boardrooms and buying meetings across retail, markdowns are discussed as a necessary evil ā a way of shifting unsold stock, protecting cash flow and chasing revenue targets. But as every seasoned merchandiser knows, poorly executed markdowns wreak havoc on margins. Despite this, they remain one of the most under-optimized levers in a retailerās commercial toolkit. Itās time we fixed that.
Watch: The Body Shopās agentic AI journey so far
Richard Potter sat down with Hilary McNair, Global Commercial Director at The Body Shop, at UiPath on Tour: London. Hilary explained how the retailer is evolving from traditional practices to a data-led, AI-powered approach. Partnering with Peak, theyāve begun to see real impact, streamlining operations and enhancing decision making. Now, theyāre exploring the next frontier: autonomous AI agents that could fundamentally change how retail decisions are made. Watch Hilary and Richardās conversation now ā just search āThe Body Shopā to find the session.
Manufacturing
Agentic AI systems āwill provide enormous uplift in business performanceā
Our VP Strategy, Chris Ashley, was a guest on GlobalData Plcās Instant Insights podcast this month. He spoke about the growing number of use cases for agentic AI systems in business, including quote pricing in the manufacturing space, and shared his thoughts on what the future of this exciting technology has in store. You can listen to the podcast and read the write-up in this article by Verdict ā hit the button below.
Weāre hiring!
Explore exciting career opportunities at Peak and UiPath
Looking for your next challenge? Youāre in luck, because weāre currently hiring for a wide range of roles across several of our teams! From product marketing to data science, weāre looking to grow our team as part of the UiPath family ā click the link to check out the current vacancies at Peak and UiPath.
Upcoming events
Peak on the road š£ļø
Weāve got a busy few months ahead as we get out and about at a number of exciting industry events and trade shows! Hereās a quick snippet of what weāve got coming up and where you can catch the Peak team š
- NRF: Retailās Big Show Europe. Paris, 16ā18 September
- Smart Manufacturing Food & Beverage Europe, London, 25 September
- UiPath Fusion, Las Vegas, 29 September ā 2 October
On our radar
Whatās caught our eye this month?
Black Friday: Set perfect pricing with AI
Yes, we're talking about Black Friday. Yes, we know it's only July. But the months are flying by, and if your retail pricing strategy isn't locked in yet for the golden quarter, you're at risk of falling behind. It's time to use AI to nail your pricing for Black Friday and beyond, with maximized margin and increased sell-through.
