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Stella Huang purchased her initial Jellycat soft toy amid a time of unemployment in the pandemic. Inspired by a friend's fondness for these UK-created toys, her curiosity was fully sparked upon seeing a distinctive gingerbread cottage design circulating on a widely-used Chinese social media app.

Although Christmas is not widely celebrated across China, serving more as a commercial event rather than a cultural tradition, the imagery of festive cottages resonated to Stella. "It doesn't hold much for me... However, I always like the sight of gingerbread houses," she states. This led her to eventually ask a friend in Guangzhou to buy the item on her behalf.

That acquisition was made in 2021, right as the brand was poised to achieve massive popularity across China and beyond. "Everyone felt uneasy, and nobody knew what exactly would happen," says Stella, who picked up a routine of petting and hugging her plushies to cope throughout a difficult period. Living in Beijing, a city with among the most stringent restrictions globally, she passed extended periods at home.

Now 32 with a new job in tourism sector in the tourism industry, Stella still expand her collection. Her collection has grown to approximately 120 toys, representing a cost of about 36,000 yuan. "At my age, there are numerous matters that you cannot discuss with other people... and the troubles we encounter are a lot more complicated than before," she says reflectively. "These soft toys assist me in regulate my feelings."

Initially marketed for children, these soft toys have transformed into an international phenomenon, particularly within China where an increasingly disenchanted youth demographic is turning to them for emotional support.

Understanding the Adult Toy Enthusiasts

Her gingerbread cottage plushie is part of the "Amuseable" series, a range of characters with tiny expressions based on commonplace items, ranging from toilet rolls to hard-boiled eggs. These toys have become the "breakout success" that "attract a broad Gen-Z and millennial audience" around the world, according to industry analysts.

The surge in appeal "may have a connection to wanting for companionship," suggest experts. While it's hard to ascertain whether the introduction of the iconic Amuseable line back in 2018 was an intentional move to engage the adult consumer, companies in the sector increasingly must find new markets due to declining birth rates in many countries.

The brand entered China as early as 2015. By laying significant "foundation", the toy maker was well-positioned to tap into "the mood of the pandemic"—a time when people sought comfort during heightened uncertainty—capitalizing on its early momentum in the country, as explained by industry experts.

Its popularity was also propelled through creative pop-up experiences. These in-store activations sometimes offered a menu of exclusive "food" themed items. Numerous fans would film their experience being served and post the clips online.

Adaptation to local tastes has also been an essential approach. As an example, customers were able to buy plush versions of classic UK dishes like fish, chips and mushy peas at a pop-up in London. Meanwhile, products including teacup and teapot toys were sold at special stores in Chinese metropolises the previous year.

In 2024, the UK-based firm's sales is said to have rose by two-thirds to reach an impressive sum. In the same period, sales of roughly $117 million worth of toys to Chinese consumers via major e-commerce platforms, per research data.

This expansion mirrors a broader boom in China's collectible toy market driven by adult consumers seeking emotional support and community. Overall sales of collectable items in China are projected to exceed 110 billion yuan annually, as per a 2024 analysis.

The remarkable popularity of other toys such as Labubu, elf-like dolls from domestic company Pop Mart, highlights the country's increasing demand towards designer collectibles. The so-called "adult-child" trend isn't unique to China; adults globally are starting to question "outdated understandings of adulthood," observe academics.

Particularly, items like the eggplant plushie—nicknamed "the big boss" in China—have inspired numerous online jokes, with many expressing grievances about adult life. On social media, the "eggplant boss" tag is a space where fans sketch various emotive faces on the plushie, showing it in various moods from drinking to fake-smiling.

For example, one Hong Kong-based, Wendy Hui, personalized her aubergine toy adding bags around its eyes and putting a pair of glasses on it. She then shared an image on a social platform with the caption: "The mood of workers on Monday." "I kept working at home even during time off," the 30-something says. "I merely intended to express how exhausted I felt."

Thus, the brand has emerged as an unexpected, whimsical channel for young Chinese to voice their grievances about a slowing economy, in which hard work no longer guarantee commensurate returns. Amid heavy content regulation, digital spaces remains a crucial, perhaps the primary, arena for such discussions.

Its frequent releases of limited-edition designs coupled with the retirement of certain lines—a strategy sometimes referred to as "scarcity marketing" in China—has also driven {