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A woman named Stella bought her first Jellycat brand cuddly companion amid a time of unemployment during the global health crisis. Prompted by a friend's enthusiasm for these British-designed toys, her curiosity was truly ignited when she saw a unique gingerbread cottage design featured on a major social networking app.

While Christmas is not traditionally observed across China, serving more as a commercial event than a cultural tradition, the imagery of festive cottages appealed to Stella. "The festival doesn't hold much to me... However, I have always loved the appearance of those sweet houses," she explains. This prompted her to eventually ask an old friend in Guangzhou to buy the item on her behalf.

That acquisition took place in 2021, coinciding with the brand was about to achieve significant success in China and internationally. "People were anxious, and nobody knew what exactly was going to happen," says Stella, who picked up a routine of petting and squeezing her soft toys for comfort throughout that stressful time. Residing in Beijing, which experienced among the strictest lockdowns in the world, she spent a great deal of time indoors.

Now 32 with a new job in sales manager in the tourism industry, Stella still grow her collection. It has reached approximately 120 toys, with a total a cost of about 36,000 yuan. "At my age, you have many things you can't share with other people... and the problems we face are far more complex than in the past," she notes with a sigh. "These soft toys assist me in managing my feelings."

Initially marketed for children, these squishy creatures have become an international sensation, particularly in China where a increasingly disenchanted younger generation is turning to them as a source of comfort and solace.

The Rise of Kidults

Stella's gingerbread cottage toy belongs to their "Amuseable" series, a set of toys featuring small expressions modelled after everyday inanimate objects, ranging from toilet rolls to boiled eggs. These plushies have become the "breakout products" which "attract a wide Gen-Z and millennial audience" around the world, according to industry analysts.

The surge in appeal "could have a connection to wanting to feel companiable," suggest cultural commentators. It is hard to ascertain whether the launch of the iconic series in 2018 was a deliberate strategy to engage the adult consumer, companies in the sector are under pressure to must cultivate alternative audiences amid declining birth rates in many countries.

Jellycat made its foray into the Chinese market as early as 2015. Having laid the necessary "foundation", the toy maker was able to capture "the mood of the pandemic"—a time when individuals looked for solace amid widespread anxiety—capitalizing on this success there, according to industry experts.

Its fame was also propelled by creative pop-up experiences. These in-store activations sometimes offered a menu of limited-edition "food" themed items. Many enthusiasts would film their experience 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 versions of traditional British fare such as fish and chips during a pop-up in London. Meanwhile, items like teapot and teacup toys were sold at special stores in Beijing and Shanghai last year.

Last year, the British company's revenue reportedly rose significantly to reach an impressive figure. In the same timeframe, it sold an estimated $117 million in value of toys in China via leading e-commerce platforms, according to market intelligence estimates.

This growth reflects a broader surge in China's collectable-toy market driven by adult consumers seeking emotional comfort and connection. Total revenue from collectible toys in China are expected to top 110 billion yuan this year, according to a recent industry report.

The remarkable success of brands like Labubu, elf-like dolls by domestic company Pop Mart, underscores the country's growing appetite for collectable toys. This "kidult" phenomenon is not unique to China; adults worldwide are starting to question "outdated understandings of what it means to be an adult," note academics.

Amuseables, items like the eggplant character—affectionately dubbed "the big boss" in China—have inspired numerous online jokes, with many sharing frustrations about the pressures of adulthood. The "eggplant boss" hashtag is a space where fans draw different expressions on their toy, depicting it in different states from drinking to forcing a smile.

For example, a marketing professional from Hong Kong, Wendy Hui, personalized her aubergine Amuseable by drawing bags under its eyes and putting spectacles on it. She posted an image online captioning it: "The mental state of employees at the start of the week." "I kept working from home even on my days off," the 30-something says. "I just wanted to convey how exhausted I was."

In this way, Jellycat has become a surprising, light-hearted outlet for young Chinese to air their frustrations over a slowing economy, in which dedicated effort doesn't always guarantee comparable returns. Amid strict online censorship, digital spaces have become a crucial, if not the only, space for these types of conversations.

Its regular launches of exclusive designs coupled with the discontinuation of certain lines—an approach sometimes referred to as "scarcity marketing" in China—has further fueled {