Disney's LinaBell Wins Hearts in China

Each week, whenever she has time off from her marketing job, Ms Ida Jia can be found at Shanghai Disneyland, queueing for hours to spend a few minutes with LinaBell, a fluffy pink fox character with big blue eyes.

The 29-year-old does not go empty-handed, bringing soft toys to show the life-size character, and handmade gifts.

LinaBell, which made its debut in Shanghai in 2021, is helping Disney benefit from a rapidly growing market in China for merchandise related to toys, games, comics and anime, which remained popular with teenagers and young adults throughout 2024, even as they reduced spending on items from beauty products to luxury handbags.

The phenomenon has been dubbed "emotional consumption" in Chinese state media, and has been likened to the so-called lipstick effect, in which consumers seek out more affordable luxuries as the economy languishes.

Ms Jia met LinaBell at Shanghai Disneyland three years ago. In the years since, she has transformed her home and bedroom with LinaBell merchandise.

She is far from alone in her devotion to LinaBell, which has gained a large following in China since it was created as part of the Duffy And Friends series of characters - which includes teddy bears, a bunny and a turtle.