Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said Pop Mart’s restricting stock and selling the dolls in blind boxes had led to the fan frenzy.
“But the big crowds building on stock drop days have clearly become a costly headache to manage,” she said.
“Out-of-control crowds could affect ultimately the brand’s playful and fun appeal which is likely to be why sales have been paused,” she said.
She warned the suspension would probably lead to demand building up and more attempts to buy the dolls online – but they sell out within seconds.
“It could also push more fans to resale sites, but counterfeit Labubus are being sold, so there is a risk customers could be duped into buying fakes.”
Sarah Johnson, the founder of consultancy Flourish Retail, said suspending sales was “a strategic decision”.
Collectible brands like Labubu use scarcity as “a powerful tool”, she added.