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YIWU, China, July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugo.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world. Big data from Yiwugo shows that "toys" has consistently ranked among the platform's most searched keywords. Over the past few months, fueled by the surging popularity of items such as LABUBU, relevant product searches have remained robust, with "toys" firmly holding the top position on Yiwugo's trending search list. With the onset of the summer season, merchants have introduced a wide array of new products, many of which have rapidly emerged as bestsellers.
Lou Jingrui has dedicated many years to the art of three-dimensional paper sculpture. Her store, Papercraft Toys, specializes in 3D DIY creative toys and decorative items. This summer, peripherals featuring popular characters such as Crayon Shin-chan and My Little Pony have enjoyed strong sales, fueled by the launch of her innovative DIY blind box collections.
Each blind box showcases a crystal-clear shell that conceals a randomly selected My Little Pony figurine, with each collection offering eight distinct designs. The anticipation of discovery before unboxing, coupled with the hands-on assembly process, culminates in a finished 3D crystal display piece. A combination of elegance and playfulness, such pieces deliver the satisfaction of DIY craftsmanship, earning them the title of "next-generation blind boxes" among enthusiasts.
In 2023, Papercraft Toys undertook a comprehensive product line upgrade, introducing a variety of popular characters including Crayon Shin-chan, SpongeBob SquarePants, Sanrio and My Little Pony. Its portfolio now features 3D framed artworks, DIY night lights, paper-crafted mini toys, crystal cards, and acrylic spinning toys. In 2024, the company's SKU catalogue had expanded to several thousand items, fueled by collaborations with cultural and creative organizations such as Sanxingdui and Xiaoxitian. According to Lou, annual orders from Sanxingdui alone reach between 30,000 and 40,000 units per product line. In popular tourist destinations like Harbin, seasonal orders for its DIY night lights routinely exceed several hundred thousand yuan.
This year, alongside its newly launched DIY blind boxes, the company's acrylic spinning toys—featuring characters like Crayon Shin-chan and My Little Pony—have generated such strong demand that customers are prepaying and queueing for deliveries.
Lou notes that competition within the toy industry has reached new levels. Merchants must now not only deliver superior quality and entertainment value but also develop product concepts that are visually striking—if not collectible—to establish a firm market presence.
With many years of experience in doll and doll-outfit manufacturing, Zhang Ping resonates strongly with this trend.
Since April 2025, a surge of inquiries from influencers about LABUBU doll outfits have sparked a boom in the domestic market. By May, demand from buyers at home and abroad had reached its peak, with monthly sales of certain styles consistently reaching tens of thousands. These outfits are primarily tailored for popular doll characters such as LABUBU, Hello Kitty, and Monchhichi.
Zhang observed that overall-and-T-shirt sets have been particularly well-received in Western markets, with individual buyers placing orders for tens of thousands of units at a time. A sweater design that had been a long-standing bestseller staged a comeback in May, reigniting renewed interest across Europe and the US. One customer placed an order for 3,000 units in a single day, most of which were destined for LABUBU dolls.
Driven by her passion for plush toys, Zhang founded Rongmeng Trendy Toys several years ago, specializing in the production and sale of dolls and their apparel. With its distinctive blend of fresh, sweet, and cool aesthetics, the company quickly established a unique presence in the market. Initially, its doll clothing was created exclusively for in-house product lines. However, as the "doll outfit" concept gained momentum over the past two years, the company dedicated a product line to universal-sized doll apparel. Committed to matching the quality of its dolls, Rongmeng prioritizes mid- to high-end garments, thus becoming a designated supplier for numerous renowned character-based brands at home and abroad.
Zhang noted that this year, numerous buyers from across China, as well as overseas trading companies, have been drawn in through Yiwugo. Recently, customers from Russia and the Middle East have also begun placing orders, propelling Rongmeng Trendy Toys into another busy production cycle. At the same time, Zhixiang Creations continues to spearhead innovation in cultural, creative, and trendy products, introducing fresh surprises to both the Yiwu toy market and its enthusiasts. After all, Yiwu never fails to impress.
YIWU, China, July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugo.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world. Big data from Yiwugo shows that "toys" has consistently ranked among the platform's most searched keywords. Over the past few months, fueled by the surging popularity of items such as LABUBU, relevant product searches have remained robust, with "toys" firmly holding the top position on Yiwugo's trending search list. With the onset of the summer season, merchants have introduced a wide array of new products, many of which have rapidly emerged as bestsellers.
Lou Jingrui has dedicated many years to the art of three-dimensional paper sculpture. Her store, Papercraft Toys, specializes in 3D DIY creative toys and decorative items. This summer, peripherals featuring popular characters such as Crayon Shin-chan and My Little Pony have enjoyed strong sales, fueled by the launch of her innovative DIY blind box collections.
Each blind box showcases a crystal-clear shell that conceals a randomly selected My Little Pony figurine, with each collection offering eight distinct designs. The anticipation of discovery before unboxing, coupled with the hands-on assembly process, culminates in a finished 3D crystal display piece. A combination of elegance and playfulness, such pieces deliver the satisfaction of DIY craftsmanship, earning them the title of "next-generation blind boxes" among enthusiasts.
In 2023, Papercraft Toys undertook a comprehensive product line upgrade, introducing a variety of popular characters including Crayon Shin-chan, SpongeBob SquarePants, Sanrio and My Little Pony. Its portfolio now features 3D framed artworks, DIY night lights, paper-crafted mini toys, crystal cards, and acrylic spinning toys. In 2024, the company's SKU catalogue had expanded to several thousand items, fueled by collaborations with cultural and creative organizations such as Sanxingdui and Xiaoxitian. According to Lou, annual orders from Sanxingdui alone reach between 30,000 and 40,000 units per product line. In popular tourist destinations like Harbin, seasonal orders for its DIY night lights routinely exceed several hundred thousand yuan.
This year, alongside its newly launched DIY blind boxes, the company's acrylic spinning toys—featuring characters like Crayon Shin-chan and My Little Pony—have generated such strong demand that customers are prepaying and queueing for deliveries.
Lou notes that competition within the toy industry has reached new levels. Merchants must now not only deliver superior quality and entertainment value but also develop product concepts that are visually striking—if not collectible—to establish a firm market presence.
With many years of experience in doll and doll-outfit manufacturing, Zhang Ping resonates strongly with this trend.
Since April 2025, a surge of inquiries from influencers about LABUBU doll outfits have sparked a boom in the domestic market. By May, demand from buyers at home and abroad had reached its peak, with monthly sales of certain styles consistently reaching tens of thousands. These outfits are primarily tailored for popular doll characters such as LABUBU, Hello Kitty, and Monchhichi.
Zhang observed that overall-and-T-shirt sets have been particularly well-received in Western markets, with individual buyers placing orders for tens of thousands of units at a time. A sweater design that had been a long-standing bestseller staged a comeback in May, reigniting renewed interest across Europe and the US. One customer placed an order for 3,000 units in a single day, most of which were destined for LABUBU dolls.
Driven by her passion for plush toys, Zhang founded Rongmeng Trendy Toys several years ago, specializing in the production and sale of dolls and their apparel. With its distinctive blend of fresh, sweet, and cool aesthetics, the company quickly established a unique presence in the market. Initially, its doll clothing was created exclusively for in-house product lines. However, as the "doll outfit" concept gained momentum over the past two years, the company dedicated a product line to universal-sized doll apparel. Committed to matching the quality of its dolls, Rongmeng prioritizes mid- to high-end garments, thus becoming a designated supplier for numerous renowned character-based brands at home and abroad.
Zhang noted that this year, numerous buyers from across China, as well as overseas trading companies, have been drawn in through Yiwugo. Recently, customers from Russia and the Middle East have also begun placing orders, propelling Rongmeng Trendy Toys into another busy production cycle. At the same time, Zhixiang Creations continues to spearhead innovation in cultural, creative, and trendy products, introducing fresh surprises to both the Yiwu toy market and its enthusiasts. After all, Yiwu never fails to impress.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Emerging Trends in Yiwu's Toy Market: DIY Blind Boxes and LABUBU Doll Outfits
- CATL opens Middle East's first NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh —currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China.
- The facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions.
- It also functions as a regional ecosystem hub linking diverse stakeholders and resources to drive industrial synergy and sustainable growth.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 10, 2026, CATL opened the Middle East's first and currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China—the NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh—strengthening its after-sales presence in the Middle East and supporting the region's shift toward cleaner energy systems.
The opening comes as Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East advance ambitious electrification and decarbonization goals under Vision 2030 and similar national initiatives. Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, The Kingdom has set a goal to transition 30% of all vehicles in Riyadh to electric by 2030, as part of a larger strategy to reduce emissions in the capital city by 50%. Sustainability policies are also driving the shift to electric equipment, such as promoting the use of electric forklifts, while encouraging the use of green energy on farms under the Saudi Green Initiative. However, progress is tempered by persistent challenges, including longstanding oil dependency, surging electricity demand, extreme climatic conditions, and limited charging and service infrastructure.
Strategically designed to overcome these obstacles, the Riyadh facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions.
Covering more than 7,000 square meters, the Riyadh center combines exhibition areas, diagnostics and maintenance zones, refurbishment facilities, training spaces, and a customer lounge. It is designed to serve not only as a localized service hub for the region and a showcase of CATL's system-level capabilities across electric mobility, energy storage, and intelligent electrification, but also as a platform that links diverse resources, fostering industrial synergy across the ecosystem.
A full-lifecycle approach to new energy services
Relying on CATL's deep R&D and extreme manufacturing capabilities, NING SERVICE Experience Center provides customers with full-lifecycle services that encompass battery diagnostics, repair, maintenance, rework, training, recycling, aftermarket logistics and warehousing. Its services span over seven major product categories—from passenger and commercial vehicles to energy storage systems—along with diverse repair scenarios, setting a new benchmark for new energy service delivery in the region.
Leveraging CATL's advanced diagnostics and repair expertise, along with established service processes, the center's comprehensive after-sales services
helps enterprise customers reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and extend asset life, providing greater certainty around long-term performance and residual value while reducing long-term ownership costs and delivering more cost-effective and reliable services for end users.
Advancing localized operations and capability building
The Riyadh center serves as a key platform for CATL's localized operations in the Middle East, supporting talent development and long-term local value creation. Through dedicated training facilities, CATL builds after-sales and technical expertise in the new energy sector, contributing to skilled employment and knowledge transfer across the Middle East. Globally, NING SERVICE operates 10 training centers, totalling 2,300 square meters, and has certified more than 9,700 new energy after-sales professionals through partnerships with vocational institutions.
Beyond talent development, CATL is deepening its localization strategy by reinforcing local infrastructure and building ecosystem partnerships. CATL is in discussion with top-tier local industry players—including fuel network operators to rapidly provide green electricity to gas stations and major infrastructure companies to electrify their truck fleets, as well as energy companies to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions.
These initiatives not only bolster CATL's local service capabilities and market confidence, but also by enabling key partners, jointly drive the scaled adoption of comprehensive new energy solutions across the Middle East.
"As a leading energy company in Saudi Arabia, we see tremendous opportunities in energy transformation. For instance, we plan to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions at our gas stations and electrify forklifts to reduce reliance on oil. We look forward to collaborating with top players like CATL to drive this transition forward," said Ahmed Ibrahim，Assistant General Manager For Procurement of Al Drees, a leading provider of petroleum and logistics services in Saudi Arabia.
"The launch of CATL's Riyadh aftermarket flagship underscores our shared commitment to driving the global energy transition. This milestone not only reflects the growing demand for sustainable solutions in Saudi Arabia but also embodies our collective vision for a cleaner, electrified future. As the investor behind the experience centre, we are confident that this partnership will accelerate electrification and strengthen the region's role in advancing the energy transition." said Lin Chaofan, CEO of F4S.
Part of a global network
The Saudi Arabia opening builds on CATL's global service footprint, which includes more than 1,200 professional service stations across 76 countries and 73 spare-parts warehouses worldwide. CATL ranks No. 1 globally in spare parts inventory stocked with 100% genuine parts, with a total warehouse area of more than 370,000 square meters. To date, NING SERVICE has supported more than six million electric vehicles, providing professional after-sales services for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage customers.
A long-term commitment to the Middle East
Bruce Li, President of Quality System, Aftermarket Business, Battery Management System Department at CATL, said the Riyadh center reflects a strategic, long-term view of the region.
"Our decision to establish this center in Riyadh is not only a commercial choice, but a long-term commitment," Li said. "As the first NING SERVICE Experience Center in the Middle East, it is more than a service facility. It is a new energy aftermarket ecosystem hub that brings together advanced technology, professional training, and industry collaboration—effectively connecting diverse stakeholders and resources to foster deeper synergy and sustainable growth across the region. Starting from here, CATL will continue to expand its after-sales service network across the Middle East, align closely with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and support the region's energy transition through a reliable, end-to-end service system."
As the Middle East accelerates its shift toward electrification and energy storage adoption, CATL's expanded NING SERVICE presence is poised to deliver the technical reliability and sustained partnerships essential for this transformation.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 10, 2026, CATL opened the Middle East's first and currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China—the NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh—strengthening its after-sales presence in the Middle East and supporting the region's shift toward cleaner energy systems.
The opening comes as Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East advance ambitious electrification and decarbonization goals under Vision 2030 and similar national initiatives. Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, The Kingdom has set a goal to transition 30% of all vehicles in Riyadh to electric by 2030, as part of a larger strategy to reduce emissions in the capital city by 50%. Sustainability policies are also driving the shift to electric equipment, such as promoting the use of electric forklifts, while encouraging the use of green energy on farms under the Saudi Green Initiative. However, progress is tempered by persistent challenges, including longstanding oil dependency, surging electricity demand, extreme climatic conditions, and limited charging and service infrastructure.
Strategically designed to overcome these obstacles, the Riyadh facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions.
Covering more than 7,000 square meters, the Riyadh center combines exhibition areas, diagnostics and maintenance zones, refurbishment facilities, training spaces, and a customer lounge. It is designed to serve not only as a localized service hub for the region and a showcase of CATL's system-level capabilities across electric mobility, energy storage, and intelligent electrification, but also as a platform that links diverse resources, fostering industrial synergy across the ecosystem.
A full-lifecycle approach to new energy services
Relying on CATL's deep R&D and extreme manufacturing capabilities, NING SERVICE Experience Center provides customers with full-lifecycle services that encompass battery diagnostics, repair, maintenance, rework, training, recycling, aftermarket logistics and warehousing. Its services span over seven major product categories—from passenger and commercial vehicles to energy storage systems—along with diverse repair scenarios, setting a new benchmark for new energy service delivery in the region.
Leveraging CATL's advanced diagnostics and repair expertise, along with established service processes, the center's comprehensive after-sales services
helps enterprise customers reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and extend asset life, providing greater certainty around long-term performance and residual value while reducing long-term ownership costs and delivering more cost-effective and reliable services for end users.
Advancing localized operations and capability building
The Riyadh center serves as a key platform for CATL's localized operations in the Middle East, supporting talent development and long-term local value creation. Through dedicated training facilities, CATL builds after-sales and technical expertise in the new energy sector, contributing to skilled employment and knowledge transfer across the Middle East. Globally, NING SERVICE operates 10 training centers, totalling 2,300 square meters, and has certified more than 9,700 new energy after-sales professionals through partnerships with vocational institutions.
Beyond talent development, CATL is deepening its localization strategy by reinforcing local infrastructure and building ecosystem partnerships. CATL is in discussion with top-tier local industry players—including fuel network operators to rapidly provide green electricity to gas stations and major infrastructure companies to electrify their truck fleets, as well as energy companies to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions.
These initiatives not only bolster CATL's local service capabilities and market confidence, but also by enabling key partners, jointly drive the scaled adoption of comprehensive new energy solutions across the Middle East.
"As a leading energy company in Saudi Arabia, we see tremendous opportunities in energy transformation. For instance, we plan to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions at our gas stations and electrify forklifts to reduce reliance on oil. We look forward to collaborating with top players like CATL to drive this transition forward," said Ahmed Ibrahim，Assistant General Manager For Procurement of Al Drees, a leading provider of petroleum and logistics services in Saudi Arabia.
"The launch of CATL's Riyadh aftermarket flagship underscores our shared commitment to driving the global energy transition. This milestone not only reflects the growing demand for sustainable solutions in Saudi Arabia but also embodies our collective vision for a cleaner, electrified future. As the investor behind the experience centre, we are confident that this partnership will accelerate electrification and strengthen the region's role in advancing the energy transition." said Lin Chaofan, CEO of F4S.
Part of a global network
The Saudi Arabia opening builds on CATL's global service footprint, which includes more than 1,200 professional service stations across 76 countries and 73 spare-parts warehouses worldwide. CATL ranks No. 1 globally in spare parts inventory stocked with 100% genuine parts, with a total warehouse area of more than 370,000 square meters. To date, NING SERVICE has supported more than six million electric vehicles, providing professional after-sales services for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage customers.
A long-term commitment to the Middle East
Bruce Li, President of Quality System, Aftermarket Business, Battery Management System Department at CATL, said the Riyadh center reflects a strategic, long-term view of the region.
"Our decision to establish this center in Riyadh is not only a commercial choice, but a long-term commitment," Li said. "As the first NING SERVICE Experience Center in the Middle East, it is more than a service facility. It is a new energy aftermarket ecosystem hub that brings together advanced technology, professional training, and industry collaboration—effectively connecting diverse stakeholders and resources to foster deeper synergy and sustainable growth across the region. Starting from here, CATL will continue to expand its after-sales service network across the Middle East, align closely with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and support the region's energy transition through a reliable, end-to-end service system."
As the Middle East accelerates its shift toward electrification and energy storage adoption, CATL's expanded NING SERVICE presence is poised to deliver the technical reliability and sustained partnerships essential for this transformation.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
CATL Opens Middle East's Largest New Energy Aftermarket Facility in Riyadh
CATL Opens Middle East's Largest New Energy Aftermarket Facility in Riyadh
CATL Opens Middle East's Largest New Energy Aftermarket Facility in Riyadh
