We're not good enough for Jellycat - Hull shop

Hares & Graces in Hull has been told it will no longer be supplied with Jellycat soft toys

A Hull shop says it has been told it will no longer be able to stock a popular toy brand.

Hares & Graces, on King Edward Street, wrote on social media that Jellycat would no longer supply them and posted a series of emails purporting to be from the company.

The post attracted hundreds of comments from Jellycat collectors across the UK, Europe and United States, with some saying they would no longer purchase the products.

The BBC has contacted Jellycat for a comment.

Hares & Graces, which has traded in Hull since 2015, said it was "disappointed" and had "never done anything but champion the brand and support them".

They added: "Their [Jellycat] relationship with big names is more important to them than those little independents who supported their brand while they were a nobody.

"It now appears we're not good enough for them and they're closing our account."

Jellycat toys have become a global phenomenon and are popular among collectors and on social media

Jellycat, founded in London in 1999, is known for its plush toys, which have become hugely collectable and often sell out on release.

Hares & Graces posted emails, said to have come from Jellycat, to Facebook on Saturday. The BBC has been unable to verify the authenticity of those emails in which the company is said to have explained a commercial decision.

Hundreds of fans responded to the Hares & Graces post with criticism for the toymaker.

One comment read: "It comes across as snotty and ungrateful. It's lovely little independent stores that made Jellycat the brand it is today."

Another added: "They [Jellycat] forget the little people and their stores have put them where they are now and they should be grateful for their support. Disgusting."

Abigail Taylor, owner of Hares & Graces, told the BBC that she did not wish to offer further comment to what was posted on their social media account, stating: "We posted purely for informative purposes to our customers as to why we sadly no longer stock the Jellycat brand.

"We'll move on and fill the space with other amazing brands for our loyal customers to love, and hope they continue to shop with us."

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