Reference News Network, August 22 report. According to the website of Singapore's Straits Times on August 20, now, whenever people pass by any of the Pop Mart stores in Singapore, they are likely to see a group of customers holding blind boxes.

In 2021, Pop Mart opened its first flagship store in Southeast Asia at a shopping mall in Singapore. The total number of Pop Mart stores in Singapore has now increased to about 10.

Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD entered the Singapore passenger car market in 2022, and after about three years, it had captured nearly 20% of the market share.

Plus comprehensive platforms such as Taobao and Xiaohongshu, electronic brands such as Xiaomi and OPPO, and catering chains such as Haidilao, Luckin Coffee, and Bawang Cha Ji, the influence of Chinese brands in Singapore is clearly expanding rapidly.

Eric Chen (音), a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said that Chinese brands are involved in multiple areas in Singapore, including automobiles, retail, e-commerce, and catering.

The report pointed out that due to Singapore's important geographical location, affluent residents, and high technological literacy, many brands have taken it as a stepping stone to enter neighboring markets.

The report stated that the tea drink brand Bawang Cha Ji highly values Singapore, viewing it as a gateway to the Southeast Asian market. The brand entered the Singapore market in 2019.

Bawang Cha Ji has more than 150 stores in major Southeast Asian markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The brand also opened its first store in the Philippines this month.

Jonathan Huang (音), Public Relations Director for Bawang Cha Ji in the Asia-Pacific region, said: "Singapore has a strong tea-drinking culture, a developed retail environment, and a good reputation as a stepping stone for international brands. The consumers here are discerning and pay attention to health, which has prompted us to raise our standards in product quality, service, and experience."

The report said that in the Singapore market, long dominated by European and Japanese traditional automakers, BYD once faced challenges in building brand awareness and trust, but eventually overcame the difficulties.

According to the Land Transport Authority of Singapore, BYD led the market in the first half of 2025, with new vehicle registrations reaching 4,667 units, a market share of 19.5%, surpassing Toyota and Tesla.

In July this year, the Chinese beauty brand YAOSE opened its first store outside China in Singapore. Melvin Bai, Deputy Director of Marketing and Sales at YAOSE, said that they chose Singapore as this important store because Singapore is a dynamic, trend-conscious international center that integrates Eastern and Western cultures.

He said: "We regard the Singapore store as an important stepping stone to enter markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam, and we hope to bring our unique Chinese beauty experience to consumers in the region."

In 2023, the Chinese restaurant Nonggengji officially entered the Singapore market and opened its first store outside China.

Zhu Keyu (音), Overseas Market Director of Nonggengji, said that Singapore's strategic position as a hub in Southeast Asia laid a solid foundation for Nonggengji's future expansion in the regional market.

Zhu Keyu said: "We later expanded to Malaysia, and currently have five stores in operation. We also opened our first store in Canada." In addition, Nonggengji is also preparing to open stores in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.

Chen Yiden, President of the China Division of Brand Finance, a British company, said: "Factors such as the rise of cross-border e-commerce platforms, the popularity of digital marketing tools, and the development of flexible supply chains have all lowered the barriers for brands going global." (Translated by Liu Ziyuan)

LABUBU dolls in a Pop Mart store (Xinhua News Agency)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7541270361149571618/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the 【top/down】 buttons below.