Some Chicagoans can’t get enough of the lovable “jellies” stuffed toys from Jellycat, the British toymaker that opened its second U.S. store last week on Michigan Avenue.
The shop nestled in the Nordstrom on the Magnificent Mile was bustling Monday evening, with a line of customers stretching out of the store waiting for a chance to buy the cuddly stuffed toys.
Some shoppers were children who came with their parents. But most were young adults who say they love the stuffed animals and the nostalgia surrounding the toys that have taken over the internet.
Ava Lee, 17, of River North, said she first heard of the store’s opening from a Chicago Sun-Times article and chatter from friends. She said she had a Jellycat toy “a long time ago” and decided to check out the Chicago store.
“I really like stuffed animals, so I have a lot of them,” Lee said. “I feel like the marketing is really good — the way they package it and the way they present it. I feel like it’s really appealing to me and a lot of people.”
The road trip-themed store features bright orange shelves and metallic counters set against blue walls. A display windows shows a blue-and-white route marker reading “Road Trip to Joy,” hugged by a variety of traffic sign-style decorations. A motorcycle topped by Jellycat Jack himself sits near the entrance.
Inside, an enlarged version of the Chicago-exclusive carrot cake toy — with four layers of cake and frosting, a candle and some carrots on top, and Jellycat’s signature smiley face and tiny legs — welcomed the shoppers.
The store also offers a curated selection of Jellycat’s iconic offerings — animals like “Timmy Turtle” and “Ricky Rain Frog,” but also food and everyday objects.
Started in 1999, Jellycat’s popularity surged during the COVID-19 pandemic as its plushies took over social media. Its accounts have 2.4 million followers on Instagram and 2.2 million on TikTok.
Daneisha Rodriguez, 20, of the Loop, exited the store clutching a white puppy toy with black spots.
She first heard of the brand a few years ago online and has bought several before as gifts. The internet helped with the brand’s popularity, she said.
“I think one or two is cute. But I definitely think it’s, like, over-consumerism,” Rodriguez said with a laugh. “And I know — I just got one.”
Jellycat’s toys are sold in more than 70 countries and available on its website, department stores and retailers.
The company opened its first permanent U.S. store, the Jellycat Diner, in New York in 2023. The shop, inside toy retailer FAO Schwarz’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza location, offers stuffed toys in the shape of diner staples like waffles, pancakes and donuts.
The Chicago store joins the London-based company’s other “experiences,” including a fish-and-chips stand in London, a pastry shop in Paris, and a cafe in Shanghai.
Friends Sabina Kurkowska, 22, of Greektown and Julia Szydlik, 20, of Little Italy, said they decided to check out the store after seeing it on social media.
“I definitely want one that has the little legs,” Szydlik said as the two waited in line.
Kurkowska said she thinks the brand’s popularity comes from its superior build quality and the nostalgia, as many young adults have toys from the brand growing up.
“Being an adult and having quote-unquote adult money, you just want to bring back things from your childhood,” she said.