Jilly Bing Launches First True-to-Life Asian American Doll at Toys”R”Us at Macy’s

Supporting Jilly Bing’s mission to diversify the toy industry, Toys”R”Us at Macy’s becomes the first national retail store to debut The Jilly Doll on shelves at select stores, and online at Macys.com and soon to follow at ToysRUs.com

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Jilly Bing, the company behind The Jilly Doll, the first of many toys in development that celebrate Asian heritage, today announced the availability of The Jilly Doll at select Toys”R”Us at Macy’s locations and online at Macys.com and soon to follow at ToysRUs.com. Today’s news marks the first national retail partnership for distribution of The Jilly Doll.

According to Pew Research, there are approximately 17.8 million Asian adults living in the United States today, many of whom have young kids. Jilly Bing’s mission is to reflect the many faces of millions of Asian American children. The Jilly Doll, which launched to the public in Summer 2023, was born out of founder Elenor Mak’s shocking realization that dolls available on shelves today had not evolved in several decades. Despite some advances in Asian American recognition in pop culture, the “Asian American dolls” available on the market either did not authentically resemble Asian children in features, or were rife with clichés, stereotypes, and looked as though toy makers had simply tinted the dolls’ “skin” over an existing Caucasian doll mold. 

“The popularity around the Barbie movie has renewed discussions about dolls and the role that playing with dolls has on children in their formative years,” says Elenor Mak, founder and CEO of Jilly Bing. “As parents, we try to instill in our children self-confidence and acceptance of their appearance, family traditions and heritage. Children examine the world around them and use these cues to evaluate where they fit in our society. Macy’s and Toys”R”Us share our belief that it is essential children see a reflection of themselves and their families at their most…