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A woman named Stella acquired her initial Jellycat soft toy during a period of job loss during the global health crisis. Prompted by a friend's enthusiasm for the British-designed toys, her curiosity was truly captured when she saw an adorable gingerbread house plushie circulating on a popular social networking app.

Although Christmas isn't traditionally observed across China, serving more as a retail occasion rather than a cultural tradition, the concept of festive cottages resonated to Stella. "It doesn't mean a lot for me... But I have always loved the sight of those sweet houses," she explains. This prompted her to ask a friend in Guangzhou to purchase it for her.

That acquisition was made back in 2021, right as Jellycat was poised to achieve enormous success in China and internationally. "Everyone felt anxious, and nobody knew what was going to happen," recalls Stella, who developed a habit of stroking and hugging her soft toys to cope during a difficult period. Living in Beijing, a city with some of the strictest lockdowns in the world, she spent extended periods indoors.

Now aged 32 and working in tourism sector professional, Stella still grow her assortment. It has grown to around 120 items, representing an investment of about 36,000 yuan. "At my age, there are many things you can't discuss with other people... and the problems we encounter are far more complicated than in the past," she says reflectively. "These soft toys help me regulate my emotions."

Originally marketed with kids in mind, these soft toys have become a global sensation, especially in China where a increasingly disenchanted youth demographic has been seeking solace in them as a source of comfort and solace.

The Rise of Kidults

Stella's gingerbread cottage plushie is part of their "Amuseables" collection, a range of toys featuring small expressions modelled after everyday inanimate objects, ranging from toilet rolls to boiled eggs. These items have become the "standout success" that "appeal to a broad Gen-Z and millennial demographic" globally, according to market observers.

The surge in popularity "may have something to do with a desire to feel companionship," propose cultural commentators. While it's difficult to ascertain whether the introduction of the iconic Amuseable line back in 2018 was a deliberate strategy to engage the young adult market, toy manufacturers increasingly need to cultivate new markets amid falling birth rates in many countries.

The brand made its foray into the Chinese market as early as 2015. Having laid significant "groundwork", the toy maker was well-positioned to capture "the tone during Covid"—a time when people sought comfort amid widespread uncertainty—and built on this momentum there, as explained by business consultants.

Jellycat's popularity was also boosted by engaging pop-up experiences. These in-store activations often featured a selection of exclusive "culinary" products. Many fans would film their experience interacting and share the videos on social platforms.

Localisation proved to be an essential strategy. For instance, fans were able to buy plush versions of traditional UK dishes like fish, chips and mushy peas at a temporary shop in London. Meanwhile, products including teapot and teacup toys were sold at special outlets in Beijing and Shanghai the previous year.

In 2024, the British firm's sales reportedly rose significantly to an impressive sum. In that timeframe, it sold roughly $117 million in value of toys to Chinese consumers via leading online marketplaces, per market intelligence estimates.

This expansion parallels a broader boom in China's collectable-toy market among young adults in search of emotional comfort and community. Total revenue of collectable toys in China are expected to top 110 billion yuan annually, according to a 2024 analysis.

The remarkable success of brands like Labubu, elf-like figures by Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, highlights the country's growing demand for designer collectibles. This "kidult" phenomenon is not unique to China; adults worldwide are starting to question "traditional notions of adulthood," observe cultural experts.

Particularly, especially the eggplant plushie—nicknamed "the boss" by Chinese fans—have spawned numerous online jokes, where users sharing frustrations regarding the pressures of adulthood. The "aubergine boss" tag serves as a platform where fans sketch different expressions on their toy, depicting it in various moods from drinking to forcing a smile.

As an illustration, one Hong Kong-based, Wendy Hui, modified her eggplant toy by drawing dark circles under its eyes and placing a pair of glasses on it. She then shared an image online with the caption: "The mood of workers at the start of the week." "I was working at home even during time off," she explains. "I just wanted to convey the level of exhaustion I was."

Thus, Jellycat has become an unexpected, whimsical outlet for young Chinese to air their frustrations about a slowing economy, where dedicated effort no longer ensure commensurate returns. Despite heavy content regulation, the internet remains an important, perhaps the primary, space for these types of discussions.

Its frequent launches of limited-edition designs and the retirement of certain lines—a strategy often called "scarcity marketing" locally—has also fueled {