At the beginning of every new year, people form long lines outside stores in Japan to buy fukubukoro (福袋), or lucky bags. The bags started as a promotional gimmick, but also as a way to get rid of end-of-year inventory. The custom eventually made its way out of the country and was popularized by content creators, where users from all around the world would record themselves unboxing their purchases and post their reactions on social media.
We took a deep dive into 4 key need states driving the mystery bag trend:
Current brand participation in this trend ranges from accessories to anime. The toy category has garnered the most number of searches in the past two years, with Marvel, Lego, and Miniso being the most prominent brands, and action figurines as popular items. Despite its high volume though, it has seen a pretty steep decline (-32%). On the other hand, interest in mystery bags within the accessories category is spiking (90%), especially vintage stores, indie, and handcrafted brands.
Suggestions for retailers:
Gen Z’s spending power is on the rise and they’re a generation that values genuine emotional connections and interactions, so while the mystery bag trend may seem like just a fleeting trend, it actually could be a promising selling and marketing tool for retailers to connect with these consumers now and in the future.
Download the full trend report.
