The Aporia · Soaring demand for viral toys drives Jellycat to £240m profit

Soaring demand for viral toys drives Jellycat to £240m profit

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Saker-Clark, H. (2026, October 2). Soaring demand for viral toys drives Jellycat to £240m profit. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/london-selfridges-sales-norwich-seoul-b1299288.html

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Quick Summary

Jellycat, a soft toy company founded in 1999, reported pre-tax profits of £240 million for the year ending 2025, marking a 98% increase from the previous year. Sales climbed by 43% to £450 million as the brand expanded its presence with 22 new retail spaces and social media engagement surged on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The article highlights how Jellycat’s unique toys, ranging from bunnies to a smiling tea bag, have become popular among both children and adults, driving substantial growth through innovative marketing and retail strategies.

Written by AI on 2026-10-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Soft toy company Jellycat reported a near doubling of profits in the year ending 2025, reaching £240 million due to soaring demand from fans and collectors. Sales increased by 43% to £450 million, with significant growth attributed to its expansion into new retail spaces. In that period, Jellycat opened 22 new retail locations including a Fish & Chips shop in Selfridges, London, and a ski club in LA. The company’s cuddly toys, ranging from bunny rabbits to egg-faced creatures, gained popularity through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, with followers increasing by 1.3 million on Instagram and more than doubling on TikTok. Additionally, the firm released new toys such as a smiling tea bag and a pistachio nut named Horatio. Jellycat plans to pay its parent company, Jelly Holdings, approximately £179 million in dividends for the year, though it is expected this amount will be reinvested within the group.

Written for “Jellycat Toy Profit Surge” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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0 of 11 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

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Who wrote this

Henry Saker-Clark

96 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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Also by Henry Saker-Clark

Tesco held talks over deal to buy up to 150 Poundland shops

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Ryanair to review pay freezes and AI use to counter jet fuel price surge

2026-11-02 · Evening Standard

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2026-11-02 · Evening Standard

M&S and Primark among retailers to shed light on consumer spending

2026-10-30 · Evening Standard

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 96 articles by Henry Saker-Clark →

Claims (11 extracted, 0 hedged)

Soft toy firm Jellycat has revealed that a continued surge in demand from fans and collectors helped profits almost double for the past year. asserted

profits → reveal → year

Sales demand continued to rocket in 2025 as the brand opened up in more destinations, with sites including a Jellycat Fish & Chips shop in Selfridges, London, and a Jellycat ski club in LA selling themed toys. The cuddly toys, which range from bunny rabbits to eggs with faces, benefited from growing popularity on social media and increasing demand from adult customers. asserted

which → continue → customers

The London-based company, which was founded in 1999 by Thomas Gatacre, revealed sales jumped by 43% to £450 million for the year, compared with a year earlier. asserted

sales → base → year

The year saw significant growth driven by its expansion across retail, with 22 new retail spaces and experiences in the year, compared with only three in 2024. asserted

year → see → 2024

New toys released in the year included a smiling tea bag, an exclusive toy for independent retailers, and a pistachio nut called Horatio. asserted

toys → release → retailers

The brand’s popularity also continued to grow across social media, with Instagram followers jumping by 1.3 million to 2.8 million and TikTok followers increasing by more than double to 2.3 million. asserted

followers → continue → million

Soaring sales helped to drive a 98% uptick in pre-tax profits to £240 million for the year. asserted

sales → soar → year

In the accounts, the company said it will pay its parent company, Jelly Holdings, around £179 million in dividends for the 2025 financial year, but it is understood this will stay in the group for reinvestment. asserted

this → say → reinvestment

Mandy Pugh, Jellycat chief executive, said: “Everything we do begins with our fans and the joy they find in Jellycat. asserted

they → say → Jellycat

Read More “Their enthusiasm has inspired us to invest with even greater energy in bringing our world to new people and places – through magical spaces in stores, more engaging experiences online, and new characters bursting with personality. asserted

enthusiasm → read → personality

“Seeing fans of all ages embrace these worlds has encouraged us to dream up even more playful and unexpected ways to share Jellycat joy in 2026 and beyond.” asserted

fans → see → 2026

Soaring demand for viral toys drives Jellycat to £240m profit

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Claims (11 extracted, 0 hedged)