UPDATE: NOVEMBER 7, 2022: If you were looking for my review of the 2022 Toronto pop up, click here and if you wanted to see my review of the BT21 LA store click here. You may have seen on social media pictures and videos of hundreds of people waiting in the parking lot of Yorkdale mall a few weeks ago. If you’re not too sure what that was about it was for the new popup from BTS (global phenomenon K-pop/BoyBand group) and their special collaborative project BT21. As you can see by the TikTok it shows a glimpse of what’s inside and this blog post you will go into more detail as it provides more info behind the popup, what to expect, pricing, and more!
*Please note this blog post uses affiliate links*
Background
LINE Friends is a global character brand that initially started as creating special stickers for the mobile messenger app, LINE. Since then, they have scaled their business to become a global creative studio creating special characters as their intellectual properties which lead to collaborating with multiple global brands to enter different markets like gaming and merchandise. BT21 is actually the first project from “LINE Friends Creators” where BTS created 8 different characters with LINE Friends. These characters represent each member and the group and even the ARMY (BTS fans). I edited this image below from kprofiles.com to help explain. I do want to mention this wasn’t the first time a BT21 popup was in Toronto. A few years back I remember when it was at Scarborough Town Centre, and there were hundreds of people waiting in line for hours and had to stop. This popup that was presented by Sukoshi Mart did have to close for a little while but thankfully they opened up again and we didn’t have to wait for too long.
Location, Wait, Space
This popup can be found inside the Yorkdale Shopping Centre/Mall which is located at 3401 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The store itself is right in front of UNIQLO but please keep in mind there are multiple security guards that will advise you of where to line up. Usually the line will start from the parking lot (you should see signs inside for different delivery companies however, make sure you talk to the security guard first as they will direct you). We waited for at least an hour or so which is not terrible as I have waited longer at sneaker lineups before and this was actually done more smoothly as the line moves up pretty quick. The store space itself is not that big but not too small either. There are a lot of products to choose from and you have to do your best to keep a distance. I also like that there is a spot where there is a video of BT21 animation going on and thought that would be a good place to take pics, I even noticed after I took the pic some other people did as well.
Products and Pricing
Apparel
There were a decent amount of apparel to choose from. They had a special back to school and space collection in hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. There were also pyjamas and other items as well. Keep in mind that there are sizing details shown here and make sure you read it because some of these items including the hoodie are final sale. In terms of pricing, I believe t-shirts started at $44.50, Hoodie was $85, the caps were $41, and no show socks were right under $10. I am not sure if the clothes are in unisex sizing or not, but I went with my regular size for men’s clothing for the hoodie and it fit perfectly.
Accessories/Character Exclusives
As you can see from above there are a lot of little accessories available and sometimes they are displayed and organized by character. There was only one pin/badge I found that had all the characters/members but frankly the solo character pins looked better in my opinion. From what I can find in terms of pricing, the hair accessories were around $16.50 and the badges were about $17. I can’t recall properly how much the other items were but I think it probably started around $8.
Accessories – Stationary/Travel/Home Goods
There are even more accessories when it comes to travelling, your daily commute/work setting, or even if you’re in school (as well as the plush toys). I think the the most expensive items besides the hoodies and sweatshirts was this wireless phone charging stand at ($55), the automated soap dispenser (not pictured but right under $60), and this tumbler with different components inside & carrying case for $53.50. They also had character phone stands for $30 and the neckpillows were the pretty much the same price. The pencils might have been one of the cheapest items available for right under $8 but there were also other smaller items as well such as the sticky notes and covers. They did have gel pens and the old school 4-colour pen for $10 or less. Other stationary highlights included the note pad/checklist for $11.50. I did notice they had various airpod cases even though they are frequent collaborators with Samsung.
Returns and Bags
Some items are final sale however some are not. Take a look at their return policy pictured above. Also note that even for returns you need to wait in the same line as everyone else but once you’re in there’s no real rush. In terms of bags, I noticed different bags and sizing. The one we got to fit everything inside was this big bag that had the minimalistic BT21 branding on the outside and inside the special BT21 Characters outlined.
Overall
All in all, I had a good time at this popup. The staff were pretty good and the security guards did a good job monitoring the lines, ensuring there are proper distance in place and facilitating the entrance into the store. I hope by the time you read this blog post and you are interested in going you are able to because it’s really interesting especially if you are a fan of BTS and know what these members do beyond just music. I hope this blog post helps or provide a sense of enjoyment, let me know your thoughts below whether you plan on going or if you already went. You can also comment and follow on social media whether it be on Instagram or Facebook! Feel free to support and connect there as there will be more BTS content in the near future and would love to interact with more ARMY!
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