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Stella Huang acquired her first Jellycat brand plush toy during a time of unemployment in the pandemic. Prompted by an acquaintance's fondness for the British-designed creatures, her interest was fully ignited when she saw an adorable gingerbread house design on a popular social networking platform.

Although Christmas is not traditionally observed in China, serving more as a retail occasion rather 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 those sweet houses," she explains. This led her to request a friend from her hometown to buy the item on her behalf.

That purchase was made back in 2021, just as Jellycat was about to achieve massive popularity in China and internationally. "Everyone felt jittery, and nobody knew what exactly would happen," recalls Stella, who picked up a habit of stroking and hugging her soft toys to cope during that stressful time. Living in Beijing, which experienced among the most stringent restrictions in the world, she passed a great deal of time indoors.

Now 32 and working in sales manager professional, Stella still grow her assortment. Her collection has grown to approximately 120 items, with a total an investment of about 36,000 yuan. "As an adult, you have many things that you cannot discuss with other people... and the problems we face are a lot more complicated than in the past," she says reflectively. "These soft toys help me managing my feelings."

Initially designed for children, these squishy creatures have transformed into an international sensation, particularly within China where an somewhat disillusioned youth demographic has been seeking solace in them as a source of emotional support.

The Rise of Adult Toy Enthusiasts

Her gingerbread cottage plushie belongs to their "Amuseable" collection, a range of characters featuring small expressions based on commonplace items, from bathroom tissue and boiled eggs. These items have become a key "breakout success" which "appeal to a broad Gen-Z and millennial demographic" around the world, according to market observers.

Their growing popularity "could have something to do with a desire for companionship," propose experts. While it's difficult to ascertain whether the introduction of the iconic series back in 2018 was an intentional move to target the adult market, toy manufacturers increasingly must find alternative audiences amid declining fertility rates across numerous parts of the world.

Jellycat entered China back in 2015. Having laid significant "foundation", the company was well-positioned to tap into "the tone of the pandemic"—a time when people sought solace amid heightened uncertainty—capitalizing on its early momentum in the country, according to business consultants.

Jellycat's fame was further propelled by creative temporary events. These retail events often featured a selection of limited-edition "food" products. Numerous fans would film their experience interacting and share the videos on social platforms.

Adaptation to local tastes has also been a core strategy. For instance, customers were able to buy stuffed toy versions of traditional UK dishes like fish and chips during a temporary shop in London. Meanwhile, items like teapot and teacup toys were featured at exclusive stores in Chinese metropolises the previous year.

Last year, the British firm's revenue reportedly rose significantly to reach an impressive sum. During the same timeframe, sales of roughly $117 million in value of toys to Chinese consumers on major online marketplaces, per research data.

This growth reflects a broader surge within China's collectible toy market among adult consumers seeking emotional comfort and community. Total revenue from collectible items in China are projected to top 110 billion yuan this year, as per a 2024 analysis.

The runaway popularity of brands like Labubu, elf-like dolls from domestic company Pop Mart, highlights the market's increasing appetite towards designer collectibles. This "kidult" phenomenon isn't exclusive to China; young adults globally are starting to re-evaluate "traditional understandings of what it means to be an adult," observe cultural experts.

Particularly, items like the aubergine character—nicknamed "the big boss" by Chinese fans—have inspired numerous memes, with many sharing frustrations regarding the pressures of adulthood. On social media, the "aubergine boss" tag is a space where fans draw different expressions on the plushie, showing it in different states enjoying a drink to forcing a smile.

For example, a marketing professional from Hong Kong, Wendy Hui, personalized her aubergine Amuseable adding dark circles around its eyes and putting spectacles on it. She then posted a picture online captioning it: "The mental state of employees on Monday." "I kept working at home even during time off," the 30-something says. "I just wanted to convey how exhausted I was."

In this way, the brand has emerged as a surprising, whimsical channel for China's youth to voice their frustrations about economic challenges, where hard work no longer ensure commensurate rewards. Despite heavy online censorship, digital spaces remains an important, if not the only, arena for such discussions.

The brand's regular releases of exclusive products and the retirement of certain lines—a strategy sometimes referred to as "hunger marketing" locally—has also fueled {