Jellycat toys have gained immense popularity, likened to the Beanie Baby craze of the 90s. Their high demand and prices, ranging from £12 to £200, have attracted organized thefts at garden centers and bookshops. Incidents of shoplifting have left retailers with substantial losses, with stolen toys appearing on Facebook and online marketplaces. Multiple arrests have been made, including one woman who stole almost £3,000 worth of toys. Local police are actively investigating thefts and seeking suspects to combat the rising crime.
The stolen items, traders have told The Independent, end up on dedicated Facebook pages for buying and selling of the toys, as well as listings on online marketplaces like eBay and Vinted.
Independent garden centres and bookshops up and down the country are facing incidents of shoplifting that has left retailers thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Ruby Smith, 35, of Eye in Suffolk, was sentenced to a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.
Dorset Police have issued images of a woman they would like to identify in relation to two thefts of Jellycat toys at a bookshop in Christchurch.
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