During the National Day holiday, an interesting scene unfolded at the New 600 YOUNG shopping complex in Xujiahui, Shanghai.

A group of middle-aged women shopping together stopped to take photos with an AI robot named bibo. They adjusted their poses and tried different creative shots, laughing at how cute and fun they looked in the pictures. After the photo session, each person could take home a printed physical photo. Elsewhere in the mall, a giant round bibo mascot paraded on a schedule. Young people raised their phones, children ran over excitedly, and parents and grandparents alike joined the queue for group photos. Consumers who had merely been passing by stopped because of a lovable IP.

This AI trend toy robot had just gained fame at the "BAZAAR GALA" and quickly became a new player in Shanghai's commercial districts during the National Day holiday. From celebrities "competing" for it to fans making special trips to check in with bibo, this wave of popularity can be traced back to September. At the Bund Conference in early September, this non-verbal emotional robot developed by Hangzhou Leimeng Technology demonstrated AI interaction capabilities through musical rhythms and bodily expressions.

On September 25, bibo appeared on the red carpet of the 2026 BAZAAR GALA and received the "Healing Star of the Year" award. That evening, the large bibo mascot engaged in playful interactions with several celebrities including Jackson Wang, Victoria Song, Zhou Zhennan, and Mika, bringing this furry character from the tech and trend toy circles into broader entertainment, fashion, and fan conversations.

The attention brought by celebrities quickly found offline scenarios to capture it. On September 30, bibo's "Fantasy Gallery" national debut landed at New 600 YOUNG in Xujiahui, Shanghai. According to consumer cases provided by the event organizer, a Jackson Wang fan who saw related videos from BAZAAR GALA on Xiaohongshu learned about the offline event in Xujiahui and invited friends to make a special trip. Originally wanting only to take photos with the large bibo that had interacted with celebrities, after experiencing it on-site, they were drawn in by the interaction style of the actual robot.

Another parent shopping with their child was stopped by the child when passing the exhibition area. The child loved bibo's rotating eyes and the exclusive "bibo language" it emits. After experiencing touch and interaction on-site, the parent placed an order on the first day of the event. At the Fantasy Gallery, young people, parent-child families, grandparents with children, and groups of female consumers traveling together can all find their own way to play. The large mascot creates a relaxed and lively atmosphere, the real bibo robot provides interaction and AI creative photography, and consumers can also receive physical photos, participate in check-ins, and redeem themed merchandise.

In traditional business logic, consumers of different age groups are often assigned to different markets or circles. Young people have trend toys and idol merchandise, parent-child families have children's playgrounds, and middle-aged consumers are more associated with quality lifestyle and family shopping formats. But the on-site experience at bibo presents another possibility. A few women traveling together simply wanted to take a cute photo with friends and enjoy a relaxed and happy time together. This need is not new, yet it is easily overlooked in traditional retail scenarios. Cute aesthetics, vivid colors, jokes among friends, and photo-sharing have no strict age boundaries. For consumers, getting an interesting physical photo may be more memorable than simply browsing products. For shopping malls, this means an IP does not only serve a specific vertical circle but can also create a public experience that people of different ages can participate in.

What makes bibo different is that it is not purely a static trend toy. As a non-verbal emotional robot, it can perceive the external environment through vision, sound, and touch, then respond with eye movements, gestures, and its exclusive sounds. Consumers do not need to learn complex operations to interact with it. AI technology here is not the end goal but a way to make the IP experience more vivid.

Malls Begin Competing for Consumers' "Happy Time"

Behind bibo's popularity is the commercial transformation underway at New 600 YOUNG. In April this year, the former site of the Pacific Department Store Xuhui branch completed renovation and reopened as New 600 YOUNG. This commercial complex of approximately 32,000 square meters features "fan economy plus parent-child ecosystem" as its characteristic, introducing brands such as MUSINSA STANDARD China flagship store and SMTOWN STORE@SHANGHAI national first store, with first stores and flagship stores accounting for over 50%. From celebrity merchandise and parent-child playgrounds to WorldSkills Competition cultural creative pop-ups and the bibo Fantasy Gallery, the mall is attracting different consumer groups through new IP content and interactive experiences.

Previously, this kind of content operation has produced actual business results. In June this year, the mall linked a themed food market with an aespa official celebrity pop-up, and during the three-day event, foot traffic increased by 20.8% compared to the comparable period in May, while sales grew by 10.7%. When attractive content is combined with dining and retail, consumer interest has the opportunity to convert into actual spending. During this year's National Day period, the bibo Fantasy Gallery was included in the 2026 Xuhui Golden Autumn Shopping Season, forming a commercial district experience together with specialty food markets, IP pop-ups, cultural arts, and consumption discounts. The combination of nighttime light shows, dining and leisure, and interactive projects also makes the shopping center no longer just a daytime commodity trading venue but a destination for friend gatherings, family outings, and holiday leisure.

What New Opportunities Does AI Trend Toy Bring?

During the National Day consumption season, this change is not an isolated case. The Pop Mart flagship store in Hangzhou Hubin attracts consumers to queue with popular IPs and city-exclusive scenes; Shanghai's Chiikawa special exhibition uses themed installations, limited merchandise, and cultural experiences to make the mall a destination for fans making special trips. Meanwhile, sports events are also extending consumption scenarios. The Suzhou Tennis Open held from October 5 to 11 introduced bibo as the players' intelligent emotional ambassador, launching large mascot photo opportunities, themed interactions, tennis-exclusive apparel, and merchandise, combining the spectator experience with IP consumption.

Consumers are increasingly willing to invest time in characters they love, unique experiences, and shared memories. The addition of AI trend toys adds another possibility to the traditional IP economy. A character can not only be collected and purchased but also interacted with, photographed, and dressed up, following consumers into different life scenarios. Whether this can extend the commercial life cycle of an IP still needs to be verified through user retention, repeat purchases, and offline operating data. But at least during this National Day holiday, bibo has provided a business sample worth watching. It attracts young fans as well as parent-child families and adults traveling together; consumers may not all come for shopping, but they are willing to stay, play, take photos, and take away a happy memory.

In the past, malls cared more about what consumers were willing to buy; now they also need to answer another question: why are consumers willing to come, and once they arrive, why are they willing to stay a little longer? For physical retail undergoing renewal, the popularity of an AI trend toy robot has made this change concrete. Currently, bibo's Fantasy Gallery national debut will continue to be exhibited at New 600 YOUNG in Xujiahui, Shanghai until November 25.