An Aberdeenshire store has experienced a “crazy” start to 2024 thanks to Jellycat toys.
Treehouse home and gift shop in Midmar has sold the soft toy brand since they opened more than a decade ago.
More recently, they have witnessed the craze around the toys go viral which has brought many more customers through their doors.
The Treehouse team decided to bring hundreds of Jellycat toys together in a dedicated area of the st0re after removing their Christmas displays.
Owner Suzanne Gardiner said: “We’ve always done well with Jellycat toys, but now there is a bigger market for them.
“There is definitely a craziness for them at the moment. We started to see this big change during Covid when videos were being made about them on TikTok.
“So, we decided to have fun with it.”
Jellycat toys take Midmar by storm
Word of the new Jellycat rooms quickly spread after an unexpected video was shared online.
“A girl from Newcastle visited our Ballater store and was told about the collection in Midmar,” Suzanne said.
“We didn’t realise but she took a video and shared it online. Next thing I know, my kids are messaging to say the store is on TikTok.
“It has been shared everywhere and now has 2.7 million views. It is crazy.”
The start of the year is usually a downtime for the business but this year they have had an influx of new customers.
People have been travelling miles to purchase the popular soft toys, with pickles, chillis, marshmallows, peanuts and beans among the bestsellers.
“It has been incredible,” Suzanne added.
“There’s not a lot of stock so the toys have become desirable, and people have come flocking.
“We have has people come up from London to shop at the store, and one lady who came from the Black Isle to buy a £260 bunny. We see more groups of university students rather than little kids.
“It has put us on the map. We’ve even had people come from Aberdeen who hadn’t heard of us before.”
Preparing for Jellycat roadshow
Suzanne, who owns the store with her husband, said the Jellycat impact on footfall has also benefited their on-site cafe.
Even more people are expected to visit the Midmar store over Easter weekend when they host the Jellycat roadshow as part of the brand’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
Visitors will be able to get their photo taken with a six-foot Jellycat Jack and browse the extensive collection.
“It’s hard to know where it will go,” Suzanne said. “It’s been a perfect storm, we’ll enjoy it while we can.”