Funko builds first Southeast Asia store around Filipino fandom

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MANILA, Philippines — After years of relying on resellers, toy conventions, and pre-orders, Filipino Funko fans are finally getting their own dedicated playground.

On July 12, American collectibles company Funko will open its first flagship store in Southeast Asia, located at Level 2 of the North Entertainment Wing in SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

The launch marks a milestone for both Funko and its Filipino community — a retail space that goes beyond traditional shelves to create a meeting ground for die-hard collectors, first-time buyers, and everyone in between.

“The Philippines is our biggest single market for Funko in Asia,” said Andy Clempson, Funko’s Vice President of Sales for Asia Pacific. “There’s a very historical close affinity for Filipino fans with one, pop culture, but American pop culture in particular.”

The store was designed with that cultural connection in mind — and built with the Filipino fan at the center.

A flagship built for fans

The store opens with a maximalist roar: shelves upon shelves of Pop!s, each one rendered in familiar big-eyed plastic. Nestled between walls are pillars of miniatures, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them Bitty Pop! blind bags, horizontal displays of NBA greats or Marvel superheroes, and a whole stretch devoted to anime titles, boxed in a room-like corner made of four intersecting walls — a makeshift sanctum for the shonen-faithful.

The store reflects the wide range of fandoms it caters to. Within the store, almost labyrinthine in its scale, is a section for Sanrio cuties, another for pop royalty, and near the entrance: Filipino pride in miniature form, with Jose Mari Chan and Jollibee holding court among international icons.

Flanked on one wall is a shelf stocked with Loungefly accessories — Funko’s fashion-forward sibling brand known for its vibrant, fandom-infused backpacks and bags.

“We offer the right product at different levels, different sizes and different price points,” Clempson explained about the store inventory. “Right away up to the high end for the fanatical collector.”

And anchoring it all as an experiential fixture is the Funko Funcade, a retro-styled pinball cabinet that lets fans win figures the analog way — not through checkout, but through play. Because beneath the gloss and plastic, this flagship sings a siren call to the “kidult” demographic.

From the Funko faithful

Funko collecting, like most niche cultures, thrives on community.

Singer and longtime collector Jed Madela recalls a time when it felt small.

“Actually, it’s funny because when I started, I thought iilan lang kami,” (it was just a few of us) he told Rappler. “But when I got really immersed in the Funko scene, ang dami naman (there are so many of us) and it’s mostly adults. It’s adults talaga, very overwhelming sometimes, but it’s a happy feeling.”

Madela often sourced pieces from overseas, navigating customs and transport risks just to grow his collection. “Now that the flagship store is open here in the Philippines, it’s more convenient,” he said.

“It’s easier for us collectors to get dibs on the first releases. Normally I buy my pieces abroad and it’s kind of difficult to bring them back home without it getting damaged or [dealing with] customs and stuff like that,” Madela added.

The local collector base has long found its home online. The Facebook group Funko Fanatic Philippines, with over 56,000 members, is a daily exchange of preorder updates, display photos, and trading threads.

For Funko’s regional leadership, this level of fan engagement is a clear signal.

“We want to provide a space where people can come, share ideas, maybe they want to swap product. It’s fine,” said Clempson.

Actress Kris Bernal, who began collecting through her husband, said the fandom’s sense of community is what drew her in.

“Very engaging,” she told Rappler. “Talagang may community na hindi lang sila magkakaibigan pero parang family din. […] Makakapag-share ng thoughts, kunwari kung saan nakakabili ng ganitong Funko Pop! toys.”

(There really is a community of people who aren’t just friends, but are also like a family. […] You can share thoughts, such as where you can buy specific Funko Pop! toys.)

For longtime fans and newer converts alike, the flagship offers a physical anchor for a scene that has thrived mostly online. Now, collectors can browse, buy, and build community under one roof.

Expanding the multiverse

The SM Mall of Asia store marks more than just a retail milestone for Funko; it’s a starting point for what the brand sees as a deeper investment in the region.

That means listening closely. Clempson emphasized the company’s intent to adapt based on fan interest, trends, and feedback.

“If something springs up here in the Philippines and suddenly — because we know how social media trends allow someone to go from zero to hero — and we need to be on top of that or close to it, for sure.”

Madela, meanwhile, hopes the brand continues to invest in Filipino representation. “I would love to see them expand the Darna line, the Mars Ravelo line. Kasi Darna pa lang ‘e. The other characters are very interesting as well,” he said. “And also our mythological creatures… the tikbalang and then everything we consider ours talaga.”

While the store is launching with familiar global faces, Funko fans can expect more locally tailored releases in the future. Some Philippines-exclusive merchandise — including T-shirts and collectible figures — will be introduced in late 2025.

For now, the shelves belong to collectors. And as the community gathers around a new flagship, what happens next may well be shaped by their own stories. – Rappler.com

Angela Divina is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Ateneo de Manila University.

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