With the rollout of "LUCKY LOOP" across eight stores in six cities, the offline entertainment strategy of DAMAI ENT is extending into broader territory. On August 16, the first batch of physical stores for "LUCKY LOOP," the designer toy brand under DAMAI ENT, opened simultaneously in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. By the end of this year, the brand plans to expand further into Beijing, Nanjing, and Changsha, covering a total of eight stores across six cities.

From ticketing platform to content investment and production, and from IP derivatives to offline retail, DAMAI ENT is building a larger ecosystem centered on "offline entertainment." Designer toys represent a segment within this ecosystem that is highly connected to younger consumers and holds significant growth potential. The business lead for "LUCKY LOOP" noted in an interview that the team comprises seasoned professionals from the designer toy industry with a solid foundation in product development. "For a new brand, there are still many opportunities in the designer toy market, which is one of the reasons we entered this space."

Connecting Consumer Markets Through IP, DAMAI ENT Targets the Designer Toy Opportunity

In May 2025, DAMAI ENT formally introduced its "offline entertainment" strategy, committing to sustained investment in premium original content to deliver "unparalleled live, interactive, and immersive experiences" for users. The launch of "LUCKY LOOP" is a pivotal step aligned with this strategy. By opening physical designer toy stores and creating exposure opportunities for original IPs across theatrical, exhibition, and music scenes, DAMAI ENT is working to craft more immersive emotional experiences for consumers.

At the "LUCKY LOOP" store in Shanghai's Wujiaochang Heshanghui, blind box products are displayed without traditional glass covers, allowing customers to view and touch them up close. This reflects the offline entertainment philosophy translated into retail space—small design details that underscore a pursuit of immersive and interactive user engagement.

Market data offers a clear answer to why DAMAI ENT chose the designer toy track. According to iResearch's "2025 IP Designer Toy Economy Research Report," China's IP designer toy consumer market reached approximately 67.8 billion yuan in 2024. With improved commercialization maturity and efficiency upstream, product innovation from midstream IP operators, and expanding downstream retail channels, the market is projected to exceed 100 billion yuan by 2027.

Another noteworthy point from the report is that while leaders have emerged in the designer toy industry, the overall market remains highly fragmented. Data shows the top five retailers hold a combined market share of just 32.5%, meaning over two-thirds of the market is still distributed among numerous smaller players. The designer toy market is far from saturation and highly dispersed in competition. The growth trajectory from tens of billions to hundreds of billions signals an incremental competition phase, where most share remains with smaller players, leaving ample room for new brands to stand out: as long as an IP's emotional core resonates, its design is distinctive and fresh, it can find its audience and carve out its own growth curve.

In the Next Phase of Designer Toys, 'LUCKY LOOP' Plays Three Cards: 200+ Premium IPs, Experienced Team, and Offline Entertainment Ecosystem Support

The "LUCKY LOOP" business lead firmly believes that in the long run, the designer toy race hinges on the sustained supply of premium IPs. "IP is the soul of the entertainment industry and the origin point driving all commercial logic." Currently, "LUCKY LOOP" is building a tiered structure with exclusive signed IPs at the core, self-developed IPs as a supplement, third-party procurement as a transitional measure, and group ecosystem co-branding as an extension. The team has researched and built a pipeline of over 200 original IPs, with more than 20 signed or in active product development. Representative IPs include ECHOA, centered on the imagery of "sea and lighthouse"; HEY PENNY, a warm and healing little sun; and BIKA, which embraces the mindset of "occasionally slacking off."

During the initial store ramp-up phase, "LUCKY LOOP" will temporarily use finished product procurement to quickly enrich its assortment and attract foot traffic. The business lead noted that external procurement is currently capped at 30%, with a plan to achieve 100% exclusive or self-developed products within 3 to 5 years.

A strong IP matrix underpins "LUCKY LOOP," but what truly moves these IPs from design sketches to shelves and from single images to full narratives is a professional and seasoned designer toy team. Core members of "LUCKY LOOP" are veteran industry practitioners with over a decade of IP operations experience, having lived through industry cycles including the blind box boom, category evolution, and shifts in consumer aesthetics. This means decisions are grounded in frontline operational expertise.

In IP development and emotional communication, the "LUCKY LOOP" team has formed a systematic approach: "anchor the emotional core first, then select the optimal medium, and finally amplify reach through scenarios." During the concept phase, the team conducts one-on-one deep conversations to help designers trace their creative origins, clarifying "why create and what feeling to convey." Only after establishing the emotional core does product development proceed, ensuring genuine emotional resonance between artists and consumers through meticulous exploration. In the product design phase, the team avoids "innovation for innovation's sake," instead matching the most suitable expression method to each IP's theme: for Miorinne's nature theme, they use flowing sand craft to evoke the immersive texture of forest rainfall; for ECHOA's concept of "resonating with sound, wandering with echoes," they incorporate NFC chips to convey musical emotion, while adding pearlescent detailing around the eyes to enhance what they call "the most authentic window of communication."

Compared to established designer toy giants, the "LUCKY LOOP" team is "small and agile," with lower decision-making costs allowing rapid experimentation with new categories and materials, as well as cross-category exploration spanning PVC, vinyl plush, BJD, and rubber dolls.

In content distribution, the brand leverages the resources of the broader group, including rich artist rosters and diversified channels such as music festivals, variety shows, and exhibitions, giving IP stories the chance to reach users through music, theater, and other media. From building a professional team to IP reserves, from seeking emotional resonance to material innovation, "LUCKY LOOP" has completed its capability blueprint from zero to one. Amid the industry's ups and downs, the "LUCKY LOOP" team maintains a rare clarity—rather than chasing short-term hits, the priority is first becoming a "qualified designer toy company": consistent aesthetics, solid product quality, and precise IP expression. "LUCKY LOOP" is steadily advancing at its own pace in this marathon centered on emotional connection.