The Gen Z ‘Beanie Baby’ hits Charlotte
Plus: Top news of the week—CMS adjusts calendar; LendingTree layoffs; NCDOT finalizes I-77 express lane plans; University City rebrands; Kuechly inducted into Hall of Fame; Charlotte QB in Super Bowl
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Soft toy mania meets small business boom: Charlotte stores say Jellycats are flying off the shelves. But what’s the lure?
by Lindsey Banks
If you’re reading this, there’s a decent chance you lived through the 1990s Beanie Baby craze. The hand-sized stuffed animals begged to be collected. Popular, limited editions were scarce. You may have even had a shelf in your home to display your reapings.
Well, fellow collectors, hold onto your wallets and shield your eyes from the temptation of adorable soft smiles and extra-soft minky. There are new plushies in town, and they call themselves Jellycats.
Jellycat is a London-based stuffed animal company started, coincidentally, in 1999 — a couple of years after Gen Z birth years began. They’ve been in the U.S. for well over a decade but became popular in recent years with the rise of TikTok and Gen Z-ers becoming adults with disposable income. They come in all shapes and sizes, from traditional animals like bears and bunnies to food items and objects, like pastries and sports equipment, which are called “Amusables.”
The plushies are primarily sold in limited quantities at small businesses, and Charlotte’s few Jellycat-carrying stores say they can hardly keep shelves stocked before customers rush the gates. (There’s a store locator on Jellycat’s website, and some of Charlotte’s largest displays might surprise you: Midwood Flower Shop and Paper Skyscraper, a local gift shop.)
The catch of Jellycat? It’s not cheap. A Jellycat can cost anywhere from $25 to $60, which largely depends on a particular plushie’s exclusivity. The company launches multiple new collections each year, typically around holidays and the start of seasons, and in limited amounts. So, in other words, once it’s sold out, the chances of getting your hands on one are slim.
The lure of Jellycats can be hard to explain. In a search for answers, I recently visited two Charlotte shops to ask the folks witnessing the toy mania firsthand: the employees keeping the shelves stocked.
[Disclaimer: I personally fell victim to Jellycats a few months ago with the purchase of a cinnamon roll. My collection has since expanded to include a croissant and a stack of blueberry pancakes. They live on my bookshelf, nestled on top of my paperbacks with their little legs hanging over the spines, and every time I look at them, I’m filled with indescribable joy. My name is Lindsey, I’m 25, and I am an addict.]
Midwood Flower Shop is first and foremost a florist. It has been since 1956. But for the past 10 years, the Central Avenue location has also sold Jellycats. In the last year, though, the flower shop has become a Jellycat-first store for many, said Shelly Blanton, director of marketing.
“The younger generation, or even college kids, they come in and get a Jellycat and are like, ‘You sell fresh flowers, too?’” Blanton said. “I’m like, ‘I’m not just a Jellycat dealer, I also do flowers.’”
Blanton, who runs the flower shop’s social media accounts, said she noticed them first getting popular around Christmas of 2024, when TikToks of friend groups participating in Jellycat Secret Santa exchanges went viral.
The most Jellycats that Midwood Flower Shop has sold in one day is around 60. On Wednesday, a few of the standout Jellycats on the shop’s shelves included a tennis paddle ($38 online), the birthday cake ($38), the pretzel ($30) and the ski goggles ($55).
People call the shop almost every day asking for specific Jellycats, and the shelves don’t stay full for long, Blanton said. For example, the 2026 Valentine’s Day collection sold out at Midwood Flower Shop before Christmas. So begins the hunt.
And the age range of shoppers might be surprising. Blanton said she’s had customers as young as 13 come in and buy a Jellycat, but she mostly sees adults, in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s.
Paper Skyscraper has also become known as a Jellycat hot spot in Charlotte. Karla, an employee, said she fields calls about them every day. The most she’s witnessed sold in one day is about 50, and on Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m., Karla said she had already sold 10 Jellycats in the four hours the store had been open.
Some of the standouts at Paper Skycraper on Wednesday were the river otter ($35 online), a pickle ($28), and the spring collection, which included an ear of sweetcorn ($55), bunch of asparagus ($55), a carrot ($45), a watering can ($60), a bunch of broccoli ($60), Thimble Turtle ($30) and Bartholomew dressed as a daffodil ($65).
The most popular Jellycats are any version of Bartholomew (a brown bear), Karla said.
“Sometimes we’re putting them on the shelves, and someone’s behind you taking it away,” Karla said. “It actually just happened yesterday. We got a Bartholomew. He’s a daffodil. We got two in yesterday.”
Stores are limited by Jellycat on how many they can order at once, and how many of each plushie they can purchase, Karla said. Customers can order Jellycats directly through the Jellycat website, but they sell out fast, and shipping is not free.
It contributes to the exclusivity and almost-scarcity mindset. (The thought that has even passed through my head, with the blueberry pancakes in particular: “If I don’t get this now, I’ll never see it again.”)
But both Charlotte stores say they are constantly ordering more Jellycats to keep the hungry collectors at bay (and off eBay).
Whether or not you understand the mania, there’s no denying the grip a cute stuffed animal can have on a person. But be forewarned, once you make eye contact with one, and you imagine it up on a shelf with its little dangling legs, you might become mesmerized. Blanton has witnessed the spell happen:
“I’ve had girls that’ve come in, and they’re looking … and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this little croissant has spoken to me.’”
Lindsey Banks is assistant editor of The Charlotte Ledger and the owner of now four Jellycats. Let her know she’s not alone: lindsey@cltledger.com.
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🎥 WATCH: The Ledger’s Lindsey Banks goes on a Jellycat-finding expedition in Charlotte and explains the craze in this Instagram video:
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This week in Charlotte: N.C. school crimes drop, drug cases rise; Charlotte conductor wins Grammy; SouthPark Skipper offers free rides; Mother of Super Bowl QB Drake Maye talks humility; Hornets on a winning streak
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
Emergency meeting results in schedule change: (Ledger) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will turn two early release days — Feb. 11 and April 29 — into full instructional days to make up time lost after snow and ice canceled or disrupted eight days of in-person classes.
School crimes drop, drug cases rise: (WFAE) According to new data released by the state Department of Public Instruction, crime in North Carolina public schools fell for the third straight year, with fewer overall incidents and sharp declines in weapons and firearms cases. On the other hand, drug possession rose slightly and now makes up about 60% of reported incidents.
Politics
More details sought on Charlotte Border Patrol operation: (Observer, subscriber-only) Senator Thom Tillis sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding clear records and encounter-level data from last year’s “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” including how many people were arrested and whether American citizens were detained or subjected to force.
Local news
Free SouthPark shuttle: (Ledger🔒) The SouthPark Skipper, a free on-demand shuttle, is seeing about 4,000 rides a month and is increasingly used by older adults and retail workers for everyday trips like groceries, doctor visits and getting to work.
NCDOT chooses elevated option for I-77 express lanes: (WSOC) State transportation officials plan to build elevated express lanes along I-77 between uptown and the South Carolina line, saying the design minimizes impacts on nearby neighborhoods and historic sites. 🎥: The Charlotte Observer captured community members’ responses at a heated town hall meeting Thursday night.
Charlotte Symphony conductor wins Grammy: (Observer, subscriber-only) Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s music director Kwamé Ryan won the Grammy for Best Opera Recording, becoming the first conductor in the orchestra’s 94-year history to earn the award.
Measles alert texts: (WBTV) North Carolina health officials have launched a new text alert system to notify people if they may have been exposed to measles. Messages will come from the number 1-984-400-0729.
Business
Economic developers set up shop at The Pearl: (Ledger) Charlotte’s major economic development groups plan to open a shared office at The Pearl innovation district, aiming to create a “one-stop shop” to support biotech startups and entrepreneurs with connections to funding, space and professional services.
LendingTree trims workforce in new round of layoffs: (Ledger🔒) Charlotte-based fintech LendingTree has cut an unknown number of jobs, with LinkedIn posts suggesting roles in SEO, writing and content were among those eliminated.
Siemens Energy expands in Mecklenburg County: (Press Release) On Tuesday, the company announced it will expand its Charlotte-area operations as part of a $421M expansion across North Carolina.
Sports
The matriarch behind the ‘Maye-nia’: (Ledger🔒) Behind Charlotte’s Super Bowl–bound quarterback Drake Maye is his mother, Aimee Maye — a former standout athlete who quietly shaped her sons’ talent, humility and family-first mindset, and whose steady presence explains much of who Drake is on and off the field.
Kuechly inducted into Hall of Fame: (Panthers) Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Thursday night in his second year of eligibility, cementing his legacy as one of the most complete and respected players of his era.
Hornets on a winning streak: (NBA) The Charlotte Hornets are on an eight-game win streak, moving within reach of their longest winning streak in nearly 30 years.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
PBS Charlotte at a crossroads. Plus: Snow scenes across Charlotte, Economic development office at The Pearl; Library pauses CEO search; Immigrant population grows across metro; Charlotte’s most romantic restaurant?
Wednesday (🔒)
Skipping around SouthPark. Plus: Charlotte homes taking longer to sell; LendingTree layoffs; Remembering a 25-year-old runner; Review of ‘The Outsiders’ musical; I-485 toll lanes to open soon; Charlotte conductor wins Grammy
Friday (🔒)
The matriarch of ‘Maye-nia’: Plus: State regulators end Aldersgate scrutiny; City considers ‘Main Street’ program; University City’s rebrand; Kuechly selected for Hall of Fame; New appointment system at DMV
Ways of Life (🔒)
In memoriam: Lance Sotelo, a runner known for his creativity and compassion. Also remembered: A woman active in local Democratic politics; a longtime geriatric nurse; an executive at a Pepsi bottling plant; a textile worker whose real love was fishing
Will the city of Charlotte let go of Gateway Station?: New tax money could allow the transit authority to finish uptown’s train station.
Brotherhood, bruises and a rumble worth hearing: ‘The Outsiders’ runs through Feb. 8 at Belk Theater, 130 N Tryon St.
Leveling up University City. Plus: Office site eyed for redevelopment; Center City’s ‘inflection point’; A familiar story plays out in Plaza Midwood; Digging up dirt in Elizabeth; Amex confirms Charlotte office
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