[Opinion] #Verychinese: what Labubu really predicted

The hype surrounding Labubu reflected a generation seeking gentleness in a world that had become too loud. However, behind Labubu lies an entire Chinese consumer economy, that is now setting foot on European soil.

Chinamaxxing: not what it seems

Hashtags like #verychinese, #chinamaxxing, and “in my Chinese era” have been popping up on TikTok for months. Western Gen Z creators see in them everything they themselves are missing, writes youth trend watcher Maarten Leyts (Trendwolves). A mug of hot water with goji berries, gua sha at sunrise, slippers indoors, a hot pot for two. In between, bullet trains gliding silently into Shenzhen, drones delivering hot noodles for two dollars paid for with a swipe of the wrist, neon skylines over Shanghai. The caption changes with each video but points in the same direction: look what they have this and we don’t.

Yet the real lesson for brands isn’t in what Western youth project, but in what the real Chinese Gen Z does. Those 260 million people are virtually the opposite of the quiet life romanticized on TikTok. They spend 5.46 hours a day on mobile internet, shop impulsively between classes, and want “blind boxes,” personalized lipsticks, and livestream discounts.

80% actively buy Guochao, the cultural renaissance where tradition and hyper-modern pop converge. Hanfu on the streets of Hangzhou isn’t a costume but a limited-edition statement. At Shanghai Fashion Week SS26, hundreds of fans wore their favorite Chinese designer from head to toe. No Chanel, no Hermès, but Mark Gong, Oude Waag, Samuel Guì Yang.

No copy, no budget version: authentic Chinese design

And that is precisely why Chinese brands are now coming to Europe themselves. Not as copies, not as budget options, but as architects of a new consumer logic. In 2025, Pop Mart opened a flagship store at Selfridges featuring unique Labubu vending machines, with eighteen stores across Europe, 600 percent growth in Q1 alone, and a market capitalization equivalent to Hasbro, Mattel, and Sanrio combined.

RetailDetail rightly called 2025 in the non-food sector “the Labubusation of retail.” Mixue opened a flagship store in Times Square, with Paris and London as the logical next stops. Heytea, Chagee, and Molly Tea are rolling out the concept with theatrical service and drinks that reference Chinese legends. What Starbucks did with a third space between work and home, they are doing with a third space between coffee and the coffeehouse.

Add the platforms to that. RedNote, the international name for Xiaohongshu, announced Redshop this month, their cross-border marketplace. 300 million monthly active users, 83 percent discover products via UGC. Shein and Temu doubled their marketing budgets in France and the UK. TikTok Shop is preparing to launch in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland. JD.com adds Joybuy to the list. RetailDetail asked it out loud back in March: are we finally waking up in Europe?

Chinese Gen Z predicts the future

For brands here, this is no academic exercise. A Belgian ZEB or Dutch America Today trying to protect their Gen Z margins will soon face Chinese fast fashion from brands like BASEMENT FG, ELF SACK, and Beerbro on Antwerp’s Meir or the Kalverstraat, served via RedNote. An Antwerp accessory brand like Komono is already competing with the algorithmic speed at which Pop Mart expands its IP. Those who look only at China’s export side are missing the import side. Those who aren’t paying attention to Xiaohongshu, RedNote, Bilibili, and Douyin are brands without a nervous system.

That’s why this September, I, Maarten Leyts, will be heading to Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hangzhou on a trend tour with retail expert Jorg Snoeck and a Chinese futurist, accompanied by a group of top retailers. Not to admire, but to study. Because what Chinese Gen Z buys today will become a dominant factor tomorrow for Western Gen Z and the retail ecosystem that revolves around it. Which European players recognize this in time will help determine who’s still in the game by 2030.

– This opinion piece by Maarten Leyts (author of Generation Zalpha and founder of youth agency Trendwolves) also appeared in Marketing Tribune.