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Stella Huang bought her initial Jellycat brand soft toy during a time of unemployment during the global health crisis. Inspired by an acquaintance's passion for these UK-created toys, her curiosity was fully captured upon seeing a unique gingerbread house plushie on a widely-used social networking platform.

Although The Christmas holiday is not traditionally observed across China, acting more as a commercial event rather than a cultural tradition, the sight of festive cottages appealed to Stella. "The festival doesn't hold much to me... But I always like the appearance of those sweet houses," she remarks. This prompted her to ask a friend in Guangzhou to purchase the item on her behalf.

That purchase was made back in 2021, just as Jellycat was on the cusp to achieve significant success in China and beyond. "Everyone felt anxious, and nobody knew what was going to happen," says Stella, who picked up a habit of stroking and squeezing her soft toys for comfort during that stressful time. Residing in Beijing, which experienced some of the most stringent restrictions globally, she passed a great deal of time at home.

Now aged 32 and working in tourism sector in the tourism industry, Stella still grow her collection. Her collection has swelled to around 120 items, with a total a cost of about 36,000 yuan. "As an adult, there are many things that you cannot share with other people... and the troubles we face are a lot more complicated than in the past," she says with a sigh. "These soft toys help me regulate my feelings."

Originally marketed with kids in mind, these squishy creatures have evolved into a global phenomenon, particularly within China where an somewhat disillusioned younger generation is turning to them for comfort and solace.

The Rise of Adult Toy Enthusiasts

Stella's gingerbread cottage plushie is part of their "Amuseables" series, a set of characters with tiny faces modelled after everyday items, ranging from toilet rolls and boiled eggs. These toys have become a key "standout success" that "attract a broad Gen-Z and millennial demographic" globally, as noted by industry analysts.

Their growing popularity "may have something to do with wanting to feel companiable," suggest cultural commentators. It is difficult to say for sure if the launch of the iconic series back in 2018 was an intentional move to engage the young adult market, toy manufacturers increasingly need to find alternative audiences due to falling fertility rates across numerous parts of the world.

The brand entered China as early as 2015. Having laid significant "groundwork", the company was able to tap into "the tone during Covid"—a time when individuals looked for comfort during heightened uncertainty—capitalizing on this momentum in the country, according to industry experts.

Jellycat's popularity was also propelled by engaging pop-up experiences. These retail activations sometimes offered a selection of exclusive "food" themed items. Numerous fans record themselves interacting and share the clips online.

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, items like teacup and teapot plushies were sold at exclusive outlets in Beijing and Shanghai last year.

In 2024, the UK-based firm's sales is said to have rose by two-thirds to a substantial figure. In the same timeframe, sales of roughly $117 million in value of toys to Chinese consumers via major e-commerce platforms, according to market intelligence estimates.

This growth parallels a broader boom in China's collectible toy market among adult consumers in search of emotional comfort and community. Total revenue from collectible toys nationally are expected to exceed 110 billion yuan this year, according to a 2024 industry report.

The remarkable success of other toys such as Labubu, elf-inspired figures from domestic company Pop Mart, underscores the market's increasing appetite for collectable toys. The so-called "kidult" trend isn't exclusive to China; young adults globally are increasingly re-evaluate "outdated understandings of what it means to be an adult," observe academics.

Amuseables, especially the aubergine character—nicknamed "the boss" by Chinese fans—have spawned a wave of online jokes, where users sharing grievances regarding the pressures of adulthood. On social media, the "eggplant boss" tag serves as a platform where people sketch various emotive faces on the plushie, depicting it in different states from drinking to forcing a smile.

For example, one Hong Kong-based, Wendy Hui, personalized her aubergine toy adding dark circles around its eyes and placing a pair of glasses on it. She posted a picture on a social platform with the caption: "The mood of employees at the start of the week." "I was working at home even during time off," the 30-something says. "I just wanted to express how exhausted I was."

Thus, Jellycat has become an unexpected, light-hearted outlet for young Chinese to voice their frustrations about a slowing economy, where dedicated effort no longer guarantee comparable rewards. Despite heavy content regulation, digital spaces have become a crucial, perhaps the primary, space for these types of discussions.

Its frequent releases of limited-edition designs coupled with the discontinuation of certain lines—a strategy often called "scarcity marketing" in China—has further driven {