Urumqi Evening News all-media reporters Wang Xuan, Wang Changtong, Wang Lina, Gai Yu
Round teddy bears, soft white Bonnie rabbits, all kinds of Jellycat plush dolls...... Plush toys, which have always been considered exclusive to children, are now favored by young people, so that more and more young people are willing to "pay for it".
The surrounding cultural and creative "fire bear" of the Urumqi Fire and Rescue Detachment. Photo by reporter Wang Changtong
Since the beginning of this year, young people's social platforms have sparked a Jellycat fever. As a plush high-end toy brand, Jellycat's popular models of peanut penguins, Barcelo bears, bouquets, eggplants and other dolls have been out of stock for a long time.
Why are more and more young people buying stuffed animals and sharing them on social media? In fact, for young consumers, plush toys are not only simple toys, but also their "emotional companions", carrying their emotional expression and social interaction needs.
The track widened, and the sales of plush toys increased
A 26-centimeter Barcelo bear costs 399 yuan, an 18-centimeter Bonnie rabbit costs 159 yuan to 259 yuan, and there are also interesting love bag ornaments at 229 yuan...... In a trendy toy store on the 3rd floor of CCMALL Times Square, Jellycat brand products are sold.
Shao Furong, a staff member of the store, said that there are more than 200 kinds of plush toys under the Jellycat brand in the store, and special display cabinets have been set up in the store, including the recently popular "lively eggplant" and "sad boiled egg" dolls on the Internet.
"Jellycat's star products are the Barcelo Bear and the Bonny Rabbit, and the more popular one recently is the Barcelo Bear, which has a unique strawberry and eggplant outfit and is designed to be easily interchanged, so that every customer can match their bear with a unique style according to their personal preferences." Shao Furong said that the store's products are authorized by the manufacturer to sell, and the store began to sell plush toys of this brand when it opened in 2019.
Camel plush cultural and creative products sold by a merchant in the business district of the Railway Bureau. Photo by reporter Wang Changtong
Shao Furong said that since the beginning of this year, the sales of plush toys have been very good, and most of the people who come to buy them are young consumers. At present, the hot online models in the store have also been sold out and have been replenished. The store updates the products every month, and some regular customers also come in advance to pre-order the style.
"These characteristic plush toy bags are also very interesting, and sometimes when you are in a bad mood, you can look at them and be very healing." Jiang Li, a citizen who is selecting, said that the topic of plush toys decompression is now popular in the social circle, and some small plush toys with cute shapes and good meanings are available to friends around them.
In the interview, the reporter found that plush toys are no longer exclusive to children, and more and more young people like to buy plush toys. On the LG floor of the mall, there is a collection area for trendy brands, where more than a dozen shops sell a variety of plush toys, ranging from simulated animals to small and cute fruits.
"There are not only plush toys in the shape of anime characters that I like, but also a lot of trendy cards and manuals, which I often come here to buy." Lu Lingang, a citizen, said that many friends around him like to match themselves with toys.
"There are many trendy brands that have entered Xinjiang for the first time, just to bring consumers a different consumption experience." Zhang Yang, manager of the second operation department of CCMALL Times Square, said that the mall has also created a lot of immersive consumption experience scenes, bringing a new shopping experience to customers who like trendy brand consumption.
Keeping up with the trend, Xinjiang has its own Jellycat
"Boss, I want a sesame naan, put more sesame seeds." "Okay, our sesame naan is very fragrant, the noodles are very vigorous, and the cakes are rolled out round ......."
On the second floor of Tianshan Vanke Plaza, cute naan, baked buns and other dolls bring a new consumption experience to consumers. Photo by reporter Wang Lina
While saying interesting words, the clerk rolled out the dough and began to bake the naan in the order of tying flowers, sprinkling sesame seeds, and putting it into the naan pit, and after a while, a fragrant "sesame naan" was baked.
You thought it was a naan shop? No, it's actually a live performance scene for the "Xinjiang version of Jellycat". Located on the second floor of Tianshan Vanke Plaza, this shop specializes in selling Xinjiang souvenir gifts.
On the second floor of Tianshan Vanke Plaza, cute naan, baked buns and other dolls bring a new consumption experience to consumers. Photo by reporter Wang Lina
On October 17, the reporter saw at the scene that in a huge "naan pit" at the performance site, there were "sesame sacs", "skin and teeth naan", "baked buns" and "charcoal fire", etc., which were realistic and cute.
"In fact, these are bag pendants, refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs." Performer Kayirjan · Tulamat said.
On the 2nd floor of Tianshan Vanke Plaza, cute dolls such as naan and baked buns bring a new consumption experience to consumers. Photo by reporter Wang Lina
Li Yiling, the promoter of Tianshan Vanke Plaza, introduced that since the mall has built a mall with Xinjiang characteristics, it has been loved by the majority of citizens and tourists, especially in various holidays this year, the proportion of tourists in the shopping mall traffic accounts for 50%, and the proportion of tourists during peak periods reaches 70%.
During the past National Day holiday, Tianshan Vanke Plaza discussed with merchants "This gift is the heart", and drew on the sales model of Jellycat, a toy brand that exploded on the Internet, to create a sales scene of "Naan Uncle Sadu".
"The store staff used the way of house performances to increase the interactive shopping experience for consumers and provide emotional value, and this model was loved by consumers as soon as it was launched." Li Yinuo said.
After seeing the relevant video on social media, customer Gu Lina made a special trip to Tianshan Vanke Plaza to experience it.
"Fun and fun." Gulina said that in the process of experience, she was even a little "up", but she was willing to pay for this happiness.
Emotional sustenance, providing emotional value to meet social needs
Zhu Ying, a citizen, has a special preference for plush toys, and she remembers that the first plush toy she received was when she was 12 years old, her mother gave her a stuffed teddy bear as tall as her, and since then, the big bear has been sleeping with her every night.
Purple sleeping bear filled with lavender. Photo by reporter Wang Changtong
"After I get to work, I buy a plush toy for myself on every memorable day, such as completing a project independently for the first time, getting a driver's license for the first time, and winning the title ......of advanced worker for the first time," said Zhu Ying, who now has a wall in her new house to display her plush toys.
30-year-old Wang Xiaoxiao and her husband have been married for 3 years, every year on the anniversary, they will customize a set of plush toys, this year, they customized a pair of bears, the white bear wears a white veil, a white dress, a black bear wears a top hat, a suit, and a red bow tie around the neck.
"We put the bears at the head of the bed, and they became a testimony of our love." Wang Xiaoxiao said.
28-year-old Xu Qing plush toys with "emotions" are more favored, such as kapibala dolls that spit bubbles, lion dolls with worried eyes, and creative plush electric toys that "underweight the villain".
The fragrant pear shape of the bookstore (New World Plaza store) on the left and right. Photo by reporter Wang Changtong
"Sometimes when the work pressure is high, I will take out my 'underweight villain' plush toy, and hit it to make a sound, which is very decompressing." Xu Qing said that for her, dolls are no longer just toys, they have gone beyond their own meaning, and buying toys means buying companionship and "emotional value" for themselves.
According to data from the China Toys and Juvenile Products Association, the "post-00s" have become the main consumer group in the plush toy market, accounting for 43%, followed by the "post-90s", accounting for 36%.
"Plush toys tend to be emotionally soothing for adults. In modern society, adults face many pressures, such as work pressure, financial pressure, interpersonal pressure, etc. The soft touch of a plush toy can bring a sense of comfort and security, as if returning to a carefree childhood, helping adults relieve tension and anxiety. Li Yue'e, director of the fourth psychiatric department of the Fourth People's Hospital of Urumqi, said that plush toys also have a certain symbolic meaning, and they may represent positive emotions such as warmth, love, and companionship. For some adults who lack emotional support in real life, plush toys can be an alternative emotional sustenance to meet their need for intimacy.
The camel-shaped cultural creativity of the bookstore on the left and right (New World Plaza store). Photo by reporter Wang Changtong
Li Yuet'e said that from a psychological point of view, human beings are born with a sense of closeness to soft and lovely things. The cute appearance and soft texture of plush toys can easily inspire the innocence and kindness in adults' hearts, allowing them to release stress and regain their inner peace in the process of interacting with toys. However, using a stuffed animal as a spiritual sustenance is not an unhealthy behavior. As long as this behavior does not unduly affect the individual's normal life and social functioning, it can be considered a normal form of psychological regulation. However, if an adult is overly reliant on stuffed animals and interferes with their work, social or family life, they may need to seek professional psychological help to better cope with stress and emotional problems.