Overrated or adorable? Innocent or cunning and mischievous? As a Chinese hype, Labubu symbolizes the past retail year like no other. Because the same questions arose about Shein at BHV, AI shopbots, and a whole range of political decisions—from tobacco bans to parcel taxes. Are they the future or monsters in sheep’s skin?
Political pressure and panic attacks
(Geo)politics played a major role in 2025: protracted wars, Trump’s trade tariffs, government changes, the Chinese advance… they all caused unrest, surprising new alliances, and a whole host of new rules. With Donald Trump’s comeback in the US, a new year of panic also began. The threat of trade tariffs especially caused nervous reactions. Both companies and consumers initially rushed to stock up, but then mainly drove up costs (even more) for companies. One and a half billion dollars to be precise, in the case of Nike. No wonder the sports brands were sweating: Nike and Puma resorted to cost-cutting and begged for patience.
