The Blind Box Economy: Exploring Consumer Behavior, Marketing Strategies, and Economic Drivers of Its Popularity

This paper investigates consumer behavior toward blind box products, emphasizing psychological drivers such as excitement, anticipation, and uncertainty. It begins by tracing the origins and evolution of blind box marketing, highlighting its widespread adoption across industries due to unique hedonic experiences and emotional engagement. A detailed case study of Pop Mart illustrates how strategic implementation of scarcity, intellectual property collaborations, emotional connectivity via social media, and omni-channel distribution have propelled extraordinary growth and profitability. Employing a discrete choice framework complemented by rigorous statistical analysesincluding correlation tests, Chi-square, ANOVA, and logistic regressionon original survey data, this study uncovers significant determinants of consumer spending behaviors. Empirical findings reveal that consumers' desire to complete collections, gender-specific motivations, purchase frequency, and income levels notably influence purchasing decisions and overspending tendencies. Practical marketing recommendations derived from these insights emphasize strategies focused on enhancing collectability, crafting gender-targeted promotional activities, and delivering tailored incentives for frequent and high-intensity collectors. These targeted strategies offer actionable guidance for businesses seeking sustained growth and deeper consumer engagement in the competitive blind box market.