How UK Cuddly Toy Jellycat Brand Won Over the Chinese Market
Stella Huang purchased her first Jellycat plush toy in the midst of a period of unemployment during the global health crisis. Encouraged by a friend's enthusiasm for the UK-created toys, her interest was truly captured upon seeing an adorable gingerbread cottage design circulating on a popular social networking platform.
Although The Christmas holiday isn't traditionally observed in China, acting more as a retail occasion than a religious festival, the sight of gingerbread houses appealed with her. "The festival doesn't hold much to me... But I always like the look of gingerbread houses," she states. This led her to eventually request an old friend from her hometown to purchase the item on her behalf.
That acquisition occurred in 2021, right as Jellycat was poised of achieving enormous popularity in China and internationally. "Everyone felt jittery, and no-one knew what was going to happen," says Stella, who picked up a routine of petting and squeezing her plushies for comfort during that stressful time. Living in Beijing, a city with some of the strictest lockdowns in the world, she spent extended periods at home.
Now 32 and working in sales manager in the tourism industry, Stella still expand her assortment. Her collection has reached approximately 120 toys, representing an investment of about 36,000 yuan. "At my age, there are many things you can't discuss with others... and the troubles we face are a lot more complex than before," she notes reflectively. "The plushies assist me in managing my feelings."
Initially designed with kids in mind, these squishy toys have transformed into a global phenomenon, particularly in China where a increasingly disenchanted youth demographic has been seeking solace in them for emotional support.
The Rise of Adult Toy Enthusiasts
Her Gingerbread house plushie belongs to the "Amuseables" series, a set of toys featuring small faces modelled after commonplace inanimate objects, ranging from bathroom tissue and hard-boiled eggs. These toys have become the "breakout success" that "appeal to a broad Gen-Z and millennial demographic" around the world, according to market observers.
The surge in popularity "could have something to do with wanting for companionship," propose experts. It is hard to ascertain if the introduction of the iconic Amuseable line back in 2018 was an intentional move to target the young adult consumer, companies in the sector increasingly need to find new markets due to declining birth rates across numerous parts of the world.
The brand made its foray into China back in 2015. Having laid the necessary "foundation", the company was well-positioned to capture "the mood of the pandemic"—a time when individuals looked for comfort amid widespread anxiety—capitalizing on its early success there, as explained by business consultants.
Its popularity was also boosted through engaging temporary events. These in-store activations sometimes offered a selection of limited-edition "culinary" themed items. Many enthusiasts would film themselves interacting and post the clips on social platforms.
Localisation has also been a core strategy. As an example, customers could purchase plush versions of classic UK dishes like fish, chips and mushy peas at a temporary shop overseas. Conversely, products including teacup and teapot plushies were featured at special stores in Chinese metropolises last year.
Last year, the UK-based company's revenue reportedly rose by two-thirds to reach a substantial figure. During the same period, sales of roughly $117 million in value of its products in China via major e-commerce platforms, per research estimates.
This growth mirrors a broader surge in China's collectible toy sector among adult consumers seeking emotional support and connection. Overall sales of collectable items nationally are expected to top 110 billion yuan this year, as per a recent industry report.
The runaway success of other toys such as Labubu, elf-inspired dolls from Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, underscores the market's growing appetite for collectable toys. This "adult-child" phenomenon isn't unique to China; adults globally are increasingly re-evaluate "traditional understandings of adulthood," note cultural experts.
Amuseables, especially the eggplant plushie—affectionately dubbed "the big boss" by Chinese fans—have also spawned numerous online jokes, where users expressing frustrations regarding adult life. The "aubergine boss" tag serves as a platform where fans sketch different expressions on their toy, showing it in various moods from drinking to fake-smiling.
As an illustration, one Hong Kong-based, Wendy Hui, modified her aubergine Amuseable by drawing bags under its eyes and placing a pair of glasses on the toy. She then shared a picture online captioning it: "The mood of workers at the start of the week." "I was working from home even during my days off," she explains. "I just wanted to convey the level of exhaustion I was."
Thus, the brand has emerged as an unexpected, whimsical outlet for young Chinese to air their grievances over economic challenges, where dedicated effort no longer ensure comparable rewards. Despite strict online censorship, digital spaces remains an important, perhaps the primary, space for these types of discussions.
The brand's regular releases of limited-edition designs and the discontinuation of older designs—a strategy often called "hunger marketing" in China—has further driven {
