As a mum of pre-teens, it’s safe to say I have a pair of Jellycat fans on my hands. Having bought their first Jellycats when they were around six months old, it was probably inevitable they’d want to start collecting them. We have a fairly modest collection, and each Jellycat has either been bought for a special occasion or saved up for – something they’re incredibly proud of. Saving for something they really want, like a Jellycat, has always felt important to us.
When Jellycat began shifting its focus away from multiple locations and smaller stockists towards more high-end stores, I could only imagine the balancing act their marketing and PR teams had to manage. Many independent gift shops and garden centres were part of their original customer base, and as a consumer it was difficult to watch those loyal independents seemingly lose out as a result. That said, I do understand the bigger picture – Jellycat has grown into a globally popular brand and needed to rescale.
It is a little annoying for us, though. We loved the Jellycat “hunt” through garden centres and gift shops, and while we still have a few local stockists, the main collections now sit in places like Harrods and Selfridges. I’d love to see a Jelly Cat store at Bicester Village – I have already hinted to them on Instagram.
I’d originally planned to take the girls to Selfridges for the Fish & Chip event at Christmas – it had been on the cards since early 2025. That was until I spotted that Harrods were launching Jellycat Airlines. That completely changed things, and I quickly switched our plans to Harrods instead.
Around Christmas we always spend a day in London with my mum and make a proper day of it. We usually stop at Fortnum & Mason for shopping and tea, then head to Covent Garden to see the tree and grab something small to eat. Adding Harrods into the mix meant doubling back across London, which at Christmas is easier said than done. It takes time, and it’s become increasingly expensive – so much so that we ditched our usual cab service and opted for the Tube instead, as I just couldn’t justify £40+ on taxis.
So, we decided to keep things simple and head straight to Harrods. No offence to Harrods, but I’m not really a Harrods shopper. I’ve ordered online a handful of times, but I’ve never really shopped there in my adult life. It’s not quite my scene – all the designer brands. I have my favourites, but I’ve never been one to fully buy into big fashion labels. That said, it’s a beautiful store and I can absolutely see the appeal.
We made our way to the floor where we thought the Jellycats were, only to discover we actually needed to head all the way back down. So, top tip: if you’re visiting Harrods for Jellycats, go straight to ground floor, Door 10.
We were given a ticket and asked to queue – thankfully we arrived shortly after opening and made it into the next group. The staff member managing the queue was incredibly friendly and welcoming, which immediately set the tone. Another member of staff then guided us up to the floor, making the start of the experience really special for the girls.
Once upstairs, we showed our tickets and were greeted by a full store of Jellycats. The first thing that struck me was the design – I absolutely loved the airport-style layout. There was a security conveyor belt with Jellycats displayed in trays, just like you’d see going through airport security. The large plane window display and the metal container “hostess” offering food and drink were such thoughtful details.
The selection was fantastic, with plenty of choice including the full Christmas range. Once the girls had made their choices, we queued to pay. Thanks to the ticket system, everything felt calm and well-organised, with very little waiting. It felt surprisingly personal. The checkout was set up like an airport check-in desk, such a clever touch. The girls were thrilled with their purchases, and even more excited that they were handed over in proper Jellycat bags.
It was absolutely worth the trip into London, especially as we were planning to go anyway. Any initial confusion at the entrance was quickly forgotten once we were inside. The ticket system and purchase limits felt sensible, and restricting the number of people in the space at one time made the whole experience far more enjoyable. I’m not a big fan of shopping at the best of times, so that really went a long way for me.
Would we go back? Yes – if we happened to already be in London. Next time, though, I’d definitely like to check out the Selfridges store.
