Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-09-29 08:16Group 1 - Miniso (09896.HK) plans to spin off its toy brand TOP TOY for an independent listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, aiming to better reflect TOP TOY's value and attract investors interested in the high-growth toy industry [2] - TOP TOY was incubated by Miniso in 2020 and is currently 86.9% owned by Miniso, positioning it as a significant player in the toy market [4] - The toy market in China is projected to grow from RMB 207 billion in 2019 to RMB 587 billion by 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.2% [11] Group 2 - TOP TOY's product focus differs from that of its competitor Pop Mart, as it covers a full range of products including blind boxes, figurines, and 3D models, while Pop Mart primarily focuses on blind boxes [4] - The company relies heavily on licensed IP, with 43 licensed IPs and 17 proprietary IPs, which limits its profit margins due to revenue sharing with IP owners [6][7] - TOP TOY's revenue for 2022, 2023, and 2024 is projected to be RMB 6.79 billion, RMB 14.61 billion, and RMB 19.09 billion respectively, with significant growth in the first half of 2023 reaching RMB 13.60 billion [11][12] Group 3 - Despite its growth, TOP TOY's profitability is challenged by its reliance on licensed IP, leading to lower gross margins compared to Pop Mart, which has a gross margin of 70.3% compared to TOP TOY's 32.4% [13] - The company has seen a decrease in the proportion of revenue from self-developed products, which accounted for 47.2% in the first half of 2023, down from 53.6% in 2024 [13] - TOP TOY's store count reached 293 globally by mid-2023, significantly lower than Pop Mart's 571 stores, indicating slower expansion [8]