Toy maker Jellycat plans to pay owners £110m after profits double

Toy maker Jellycat is planning to pay its owners £110m in dividends after it more than doubled its annual profit in 2024.

From eggs with sad faces to smiling peanuts, the Jellycat craze has made a big impact on the toy industry.

Its viral cuddly toys are sold all over the world and made the company a before-tax profit of £139m in 2024, up from £67m the previous year.

Chief executive, Arnaud Meysselle, said Jellycat was “humbled” by its growth and will continue to “bring more characters to life”.

Jellycat founder and chairman Thomas Gatacre said: “Our mission is simple: to create joy and try to be the most loved soft toy company in the world.”

First reported by the Financial Times, Jellycat’s most recent Companies House accounts show the firm saw a 66% increase in revenue to £333m for the year to 31 December.

The dividends the privately owned company plans to pay are a 75% increase from the £63m paid out to its owners the previous year.

Mr Gatacre said the Jellycat team has been running “faster than ever” to keep up with demand for the soft toys in 80 countries.

He added that the company is striving to make sure “every Jellycat arrives in tip top condition, build to last, and made responsibly”.

Jellycat’s success has been linked to its popularity on social media and a rise in adults buying toys for themselves.

As well as just selling the toys, Jellycat has a range of pop-up “experiences”.

Currently at London’s Selfridges, you can buy fish and chips soft toys, sold to you by an assistant pretending to fry and put salt and vinegar on your selected teddies.

In New York, you can visit a Jellycat diner and Paris has its own Jellycat patisserie with adults lining up to buy the toys.

Videos of such experiences have millions of views online, with fans essentially advertising to each other.