Jellycat's $250 million rise: Gen Z's mental health crisis and need for comfort sparks plush toy frenzy

Gen Z consumer takes picture of Jellycat in store. (Credit: CFOTO / Getty Images)

• Jellycat has been a smash hit with Gen Z consumers in recent years, making $252 million in revenue between 2022 and 2023. A part of this rise is plain luck, driven by young adults’ Jellycat hype during a lonely lockdown, but experts say the toy company leveraged other key marketing strategies. 

Sitting on the shelves of many Gen Z households around the U.S. are plush toys with little soft dangly feet. And their owners are proud to show them off.