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A woman named Stella acquired her initial Jellycat brand soft toy during a period of unemployment in the pandemic. Inspired by an acquaintance's enthusiasm for these UK-created creatures, her curiosity was truly captured upon seeing a distinctive gingerbread cottage plushie featured on a popular Chinese social media platform.

While Christmas is not traditionally observed across China, being more of a retail occasion than a religious festival, the sight of gingerbread houses appealed with her. "It doesn't mean much for me... But I have always loved the appearance of those sweet houses," she remarks. This led her to eventually request an old friend in Guangzhou to purchase the item on her behalf.

That purchase took place back in 2021, coinciding with Jellycat was about to achieve enormous success across China and beyond. "People were uneasy, and nobody knew what would happen," recalls Stella, who developed a habit of petting and squeezing her plushies for comfort throughout a difficult period. Living in Beijing, which experienced some of the strictest lockdowns globally, she spent extended periods at home.

Now aged 32 with a new job as a sales manager professional, Stella continues to expand her collection. Her collection has grown to approximately 120 toys, with a total an investment of roughly 36,000 yuan. "As an adult, you have numerous matters you can't discuss with others... and the troubles we encounter are far more complicated than before," she notes reflectively. "The plushies assist me in regulate my emotions."

Originally designed for children, these soft toys have transformed into an international sensation, particularly in China where an somewhat disillusioned youth demographic is seeking solace in them for comfort and solace.

Understanding the Adult Toy Enthusiasts

Stella's Gingerbread house plushie belongs to their "Amuseables" line, a range of toys featuring small faces based on commonplace inanimate objects, from toilet rolls and boiled eggs. These toys have become the "standout success" which "resonate with a broad Gen-Z and millennial demographic" around the world, according to market observers.

The surge in popularity "may have a connection to wanting for companionship," suggest cultural commentators. It is hard to say for sure whether the introduction of the iconic Amuseable line back in 2018 was an intentional strategy to target the adult market, toy manufacturers increasingly must cultivate alternative audiences amid falling birth rates across numerous countries.

Jellycat entered the Chinese market back in 2015. By laying the necessary "foundation", the toy maker was able to tap into "the tone of the pandemic"—when people sought comfort during widespread uncertainty—and built on this success there, as explained by industry experts.

Its popularity was also propelled by creative pop-up experiences. These in-store activations sometimes offered a selection of exclusive "culinary" themed items. Numerous enthusiasts record themselves interacting and share the clips online.

Adaptation to local tastes proved to be an essential approach. For instance, fans were able to buy stuffed toy interpretations of classic British fare such as fish and chips at a temporary shop overseas. Conversely, products including teapot and teacup toys were sold at special stores in Chinese metropolises the previous year.

Last year, the UK-based firm's sales reportedly increased significantly to reach an impressive sum. During that period, sales of an estimated $117 million worth of toys to Chinese consumers on major online marketplaces, per market intelligence estimates.

This growth mirrors a wider surge in China's collectible toy market driven by young adults in search of emotional support and community. Total revenue of collectable toys in China are expected to top 110 billion yuan this year, as per a recent industry report.

The runaway popularity of other toys such as Labubu, elf-like figures from Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, underscores the market's increasing demand for designer collectibles. The so-called "adult-child" phenomenon isn't unique to China; adults globally are increasingly question "outdated understandings of adulthood," note academics.

Amuseables, items like the eggplant plushie—nicknamed "the boss" by Chinese fans—have spawned numerous online jokes, with many sharing frustrations regarding the pressures of adulthood. The "eggplant boss" hashtag serves as a platform where people draw various emotive faces on their toy, depicting it in various moods from drinking to forcing a smile.

For example, one Hong Kong-based, Wendy Hui, personalized her eggplant toy adding bags around its eyes and placing spectacles on the toy. She then shared a picture on a social platform with the caption: "The mood of employees on Monday." "I was working from home even during my days off," she explains. "I just wanted to convey the level of exhaustion I felt."

Thus, Jellycat has become an unexpected, light-hearted outlet for young Chinese to voice their frustrations about a slowing economy, in which dedicated effort no longer ensure commensurate returns. Despite strict online censorship, digital spaces have become a crucial, if not the only, arena for such discussions.

The brand's frequent releases of exclusive products and the discontinuation of older designs—a strategy sometimes referred to as "hunger marketing" in China—has also driven {