Young shoppers seeking adventure, identity in purchase choices

A craze for "blind box" toys has fixated China's Generation Z population on the sublime joys of surprises associated with treasure hunting.

Essentially palm-sized figurines, the toys are individually packaged into opaque poly bags and sold separately. The charm lies in the unknown as toys within typically come in series, and buyers typically do not know which figurine they get until they unpack them.

Some may feel thrilled when they get sought-after characters, while others, frustrated with getting what they already have, end up spending more to complete a collection.