Plush & Lush: Jellycat’s Whimsical Café Pop-Up Takes Over Shanghai

Where Toys Get “Baked,” Bears Hold Cupcakes & Lattes Come with Legs

Source: Jellycat

Move over, Starbucks, there’s a new café in town—and instead of brewing coffee, they’re serving up cuddles. London’s beloved plush brand Jellycat has officially set up shop in Shanghai’s Jing’an Kerry Centre, opening its first-ever CAFÉ pop-up in Asia on September 21, 2024. The pop-up isn’t just retail—it’s theatre, nostalgia, and Instagram gold all in one teal-washed wonderland.

The Café That Bakes Plushies

Walking into the pop-up feels like slipping into a dream where toys are pastries. Think:

• Baking racks lined with plush croissants and cakes.

• Ovens are counting down “fresh bakes.”

• Staff dressed like pastry chefs carefully “prepping” your plush before handing it over in café-style packaging.

Yes, they actually sanitize, “frost,” and theatrically present your new toy as if it just popped out of an oven. Shanghai’s café culture meets Jellycat’s quirky storytelling—and the result is delightfully unhinged in the best possible way.

Timeline: When & How to Visit

• Launched: September 21, 2024

• Where: Jing’an Kerry Centre, 1F Atrium, Shanghai

• Booking: Reservations only, via Jellycat’s official WeChat mini-program. Slots drop every Thursday at noon, so mark those alarms if you don’t want to miss out.

Limited-Edition Shanghai Exclusives Jellycats

No pop-up is complete without souvenirs, and Jellycat pulled out all the stops. The Shanghai Café released five exclusive plushies that you won’t find anywhere else:

Exclusive Plush	Why It’s Special
Amuseables Yulania Latte	A latte with legs, nodding to Shanghai’s café scene.
Amuseables Yulan Taro Cake	A plush dessert celebrating local flavours.
Amuseables Titia Teapot	A teapot with personality—spot-on for tea lovers.
Amuseables Sip & Slurp Teacups	Cheeky little cups for plush tea parties.
Bartholomew Bear with Magnolia Cupcake	The classic bear, now clutching a cupcake inspired by Shanghai’s magnolia flower.

Prices ranged from ¥359 to ¥459 (approx. $51–65). Each purchase came with a café-themed enamel pin, sticker set, and packaging—because Jellycat knows fans love the extras.

The city’s official flower, the magnolia, blossoms throughout the collection, weaving local heritage into global fandom. It’s Jellycat’s way of saying: this isn’t just a pop-up—it’s Shanghai’s pop-up.

Social media went into plush-mania mode. Clips of the “packaging theatre” racked up millions of views.

Fans queued both online and IRL, with scalpers flipping the exclusives for double on resale platforms. Even Reddit’s Jellycat fanbase got jealous, sighing over the exclusive pins and stickers that didn’t make it online.

The Jellycat Café pop-up in Shanghai wasn’t just about toys—it was about creating joy, play, and a sprinkle of absurdity in a world that desperately needs it. From plush lattes to magnolia cupcakes, the pop-up brewed up nostalgia, laughter, and collectibles in equal measure.

Shanghai didn’t just get a shop. It got a stage. And Jellycat? They proved once again that cute isn’t just a product—it’s a movement.

The Uncommon Breed

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