Play Nation pop-up at The Exchange TRX
You have adult money, and a love for building blocks and adorable plush.
If this describes you, then you’ll want to pay a visit to Play Nation at The Exchange TRX. The store has all sorts of adorable goodies from Sanrio, Care Bears, and more to decorate your desk and bags with, and also a DIY bar to make Sanrio sand bottles.
What is Play Nation?
Play Nation is a Singapore-born lifestyle, toy, and gaming brand founded in 2009. Starting out as a board game cafe, the brand pivoted to product creation and toy distribution when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Today, it continues to operate board game cafes, while also publishing tabletop games and operating nearly 1,000 retail touchpoints across Singapore.
When & where is the Play Nation pop-up in Malaysia?
Image credit: Play Nation
While it may not be a permanent store, the Play Nation pop-up runs for 6 months in Malaysia, from September 2026 till March 2027. The store is located near the Food Exchange area on The Exchange TRX’s Concourse Level.
What to expect at the pop-up
The pop-up features collectibles and lifestyle goods from a lineup of beloved franchises, namely Sanrio, Care Bears, and LINE Friends. Alongside these items is Play Nation’s own Heritage series with kopitiam-themed building blocks and plush keychains.
A DIY bar
Image credit: Play Nation
Not all just shopping, the pop-up has a DIY bar to create an ocean-inspired keepsake, priced at RM29.90 per bottle. Shoppers can choose a mini Sanrio figurine, fill their bottle with layers of sand, and personalise their creation with shells and pebbles before placing the figurine inside and sealing the bottle.
Sanrio
Image credit: Play Nation
For fans of Hello Kitty and her friends, the pop-up store has all the Sanrio favourites, with a selection of items featuring adorable Sanrio characters, like Cinnamonroll, My Melody, and Pompompurin. Look out for the Sanrio Pikku! A Miniature World and Sanrio Jetset Journeys Blind Box.
And if you’ve missed the Sanrio Sun-Kissed Pop-Up at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, you can find the summer-themed Hello Kitty collection here with blind boxes, accessories, and lifestyle goods.
Care Bears
Image adapted from: Play Nation
Care Bear enthusiasts will want to save up to spend money on the wide selection of Care Bear merch here, including backpacks, plush pouches, blind boxes, accessories, and lifestyle items like tumblers and wireless earbuds – all featuring the beloved Care Bears like Funshine Bear, Birthday Bear, and Bedtime Bear.
Practical items to shop include phone stands (RM39.90/each), plush keychains (RM39.90/each), and magnetic plush phone stands (RM59.90/each).
Play Nation Heritage Series
Image credit: Play Nation
Miniature collectors can collect Play Nation’s Heritage Series: a set of miniature building blocks that create shophouses, sundry shops, and kopitiams that Malaysians are familiar with.
Image adapted from: Play Nation
Other goodies part of this series include a Kaya Butter Toast Laptop Bag and Plush Coffee & Milk Tea Tote Bags that resemble a cup of teh and kopi you can get from a kopitiam. If you’re a plush fiend and a foodie, they have a collection of kopitiam breakfast Kopi & Toast plush keychains and also Dabao! Drinks sling bags.
Image adapted from: Play Nation
Play Nation pop-up is now in Malaysia till March 2027
It’s difficult to pass up on cute merchandise, especially if they’re from a franchise like Care Bears or Sanrio. Alongside the pop-up at The Exchange TRX, Malaysians can also find Play Nation products across selected Parkson department stores in Klang Valley and Labuan.
Here are the list of Parkson department stores that carry Play Nation products:
- Parkson Elite 1 Utama
- Parkson IOI City Mall
- Parkson Sunway Velocity
- Parkson Labuan
- Parkson Setia City Mall
Cover image adapted from: Play Nation