Hundreds of people queued this year throughout Liverpool for this particular reason
16:44, 30 Dec 2025Updated 16:58, 30 Dec 2025
Hundreds of people gathered in Liverpool One for the opening of MINISO(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Alongside headline-grabbing moments such as Katy Perry heading to space, Donald Trump beginning his second term as US president, and the long-awaited Stranger Things finale, 2025 also marked a powerful surge in Asian culture across the world — and right here in Liverpool.
Across the city, queues formed as customers of all ages waited to get their hands on Labubus, collectable plush toys that had nowhere near this level of popularity just a year ago. The craze quickly spread beyond fans, with celebrities including Dua Lipa, David Beckham, Brad Pitt and Rihanna spotted sporting their own versions of the gold-dust creatures.
K-pop has seen a similar rise. Whether playing on the TV, the radio or a child’s iPad on the 86 to South Parkway, the genre has become almost impossible to avoid. Its growing influence is set to continue into the new year, with the M&S Bank Arena hosting a dedicated event. The same rings true for Korean make-up this year.
Noticing the demand, and love, for Asian culture right here in Liverpool, several companies made the plunge to open their first shops in the heart of the city and to stellar responses, with at times customers waiting for hours outside.
With this in mind, we caught up with them to see how it has been to settle into the city hand what is next for them, with many of them sharing the same sentiment – “Watching Asian culture thrive in Liverpool isn’t a surprise to me, this city has always had room in its heart for different cultures, it’s wonderfully surreal.”
MINISO
What shoppers can expect to buy from MINISO(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Popular lifestyle brand MINISO opened in the heart of the city back in May. The Chinese retailer announced at the end of 2024, that it had chosen a 3,000 sqft site in Liverpool ONE to make its debut in the city.
MINISO opened its first store in China in 2013, and has gone on to establish a massive store network worldwide. Day in and day out, customers head to the store to get their hands on the brand’s wide selection of popular collectables, plushies, beauty products, and snacks.
Now, seven months on since launching, chief operating officer Saad Usman told the ECHO: “It’s been incredible. We’d long known there was an appetite for MINISO in Liverpool, our social channels were full of customers asking us to open here, but the response since launching has exceeded expectations.
“When we opened, there were very few brands of Asian heritage in the city, which created a clear gap in the market for our offering. Settling into Liverpool ONE has felt very natural; there’s a unique energy here, a blend of creativity and a genuine love for fun that aligns perfectly with our “Life is for Fun” philosophy.
“Seeing customers discovering our plushies or sharing blind box reveals has made us feel part of the local community almost instantly.
“Liverpool remains a key city for us as we continue to grow across the UK. It feels like a very natural fit, the timing felt not just right, but long overdue. Being near brands such as the newly opened Pop Mart, and Uniqlo creates a real destination for fans of design-led, pop-culture retail.
“Liverpool’s established Chinatown, strong visitor numbers, and local Asian community make the city a perfect environment for this mix. It’s less about competition and more about a collective energy that makes the shopping experience more immersive and exciting.
UNIQLO
UNIQLO Liverpool store(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Japanese clothing giant UNIQLO opened its first Liverpool store in the city centre in April. The Liverpool ONE site is the company’s 21st UK location and similar to the others, it offers shoppers a range of exclusive items, brand collaborations and personalisation options.
When it came to Liverpool, the brand promised it would bring a “fresh perspective to Liverpool’s fashion landscape” and it’s fair to say it has done that. Since opening, shoppers have been taking advantage of popular services such as UTme! customisable T-shirt station and a dedicated RE.UNIQLO Studio, allowing customers to repair, remake and recycle preloved items to sustain clothes for longer inside the store.
For the first time in the city, customers have also been able to explore the brand’s premium linen range, as well as BLOCKTECH, the brand’s smart range of water resistant and windproof items, plus the AIRism collection, renowned for its lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics that adapt seamlessly to diverse climates.
A spokesperson told the ECHO: “We’ve been warmly welcomed, and it’s been rewarding to see how quickly customers have embraced the store. This year felt like the right time, as the city’s energy and evolving retail landscape align well with our long-term vision in the UK. We see Liverpool as a place where our LifeWear philosophy naturally fits.
“It’s exciting to see such strong interest in our products and in Asian culture more broadly. UNIQLO is rooted in Japanese design principles – craftsmanship, simplicity, and innovation, and seeing those ideas resonate in Liverpool is very encouraging.
“It reflects the city’s openness to global culture while staying true to its own character. It is great to showcase our heritage within the store.”
POP MART
Sneak peek inside POP MART(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
The newest of the brands, POP MART opened just in time for Christmas. Occupying a 6,200 sqft space on the upper level of South John Street, the Beijing company is known for its character-based entertainment and designer toys.
The Liverpool shop offers POP MART’s complete collection of collectable blind boxes.
Lining the shelves, you will find a variety of ranges including exclusive characters such as Hirono, Crybaby, Peach Riot, Kubo, Skullpanda, and The Monsters, most commonly known as Labubus.
Peter Shipman, Managing Director & Head of POP MART Europe, said: “Opening our first permanent store in Liverpool is a proud moment for me. As someone who grew up here, it feels incredibly special to bring POP MART to my hometown. POP MART has always been about dreaming big, so keep your eyes peeled, Liverpool. There’s always something new and exciting to discover in store.
“It feels really meaningful to be surrounded by other like-minded shops. POP MART is part of a new wave of Asian creative expression, but what makes Liverpool so unique is that this isn’t new for the city. Being here, in a place that’s home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe, carries a real emotional weight.
“Liverpool has a long, proud history of welcoming Chinese culture, and its Chinatown has given so much heart and character to the city I grew up in. Seeing our brand sit alongside other Asian voices here feels like being part of a bigger story, one that Liverpool has been writing for generations.
“Liverpool has always had a special energy, creative and full of heart. When we were choosing new locations, I knew how many people here were already part of the POP MART community.
“Local fans have been so vocal and enthusiastic, and as a Liverpudlian, that filled me with pride. This store is our way of giving something back to a city that has supported me personally and supported Asian culture for so long. The timing just felt right, almost meant to be.”
KENJI
Inside Liverpool ONE’s KENJI
The Japanese-inspired lifestyle retailer Kenji has been in Liverpool since it opened its first store in Liverpool ONE around late 2020. The store, located on South John Street, was a new concept for the brand at the time, incorporating retail, leisure, including claw machines, and hospitality into a mini-arcade format.
Following a successful initial ten months, the brand committed to making the location a permanent home and later upsized the store in May 2022.
Since then, manager Tennessee Colde said the popularity of the brand has soared. He said: “There is a real need for trying something new and something different, and we have found that especially in the food we offer. People want to explore it all, all these wonderful, weird and kooky flavours. People love our chocolate and turtle-flavoured crisps.
“The vast number of our customers are Asian. It’s so nice to see not only Asian people finding their own culture in Liverpool, but also to see others celebrating and enjoying it.
“These people may never get the chance to go to these countries, and so to have it here is amazing. There is a real pride in being Asian, and I think that’s beautiful, so to be embraced in a city like Liverpool, is all you can really ask for.”