HKG Collection

Hello Kitty Mall Extravaganza: Discovering Holiday Collections, Top Picks, and the Ultimate Haul!

Hi everyone!

Is anyone else affected by seasonal affective disorder, aka SAD? For the larger part of last week, I was feeling super down in the dumps, more than usual.

Part of it may have had something to do with the end of daylight savings or falling back by one hour over here on the East Coast. Where I live, it’s already pitch black by 5:30 PM, and by then, it feels like all my energy has been sucked out.

When I’m not blogging, I’m just your average girl, working and studying to hopefully make it in this world. This essentially means that I pretty much live indoors most of the time with barely any exposure to sunlight, so I decided to go outside to while there was still some light out and took a trip to the mall to cheer myself up.

And of course, we’re only 2 weeks into November, but I’m already seeing all the Christmas-themed merch and products. Heck, Black Friday starts as early as September for some stores…

First stop: JCPenney

If you live in the US, you probably park by an anchor or a big department store in the mall, and you likely enter the mall through that store. I was surprised to see that JCPenney now has a Forever 21 section with decently priced, cute, and surprisingly durable clothes. Honestly, I prefer the Forever 21 clothes designed for JCPenney than the ones in the actual Forever 21 stores.

1. Oversized T-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants

If you want to snuggle, enjoy a super cozy movie, or just lounge around this winter, then you should definitely check out their collection of Hello Kitty oversized graphic tees, sweatshirts, and sweatpants. They’re available in cool pinks and light plum colors, which are winter appropriate colors, and upon first touching them, the fabric didn’t feel like it was going to come apart after 3-5 washes. Given Forever 21’s track record with poor quality fabrics (hello fast fashion…), I wouldn’t be surprised if the colors fade a bit or if the fabric starts to pill a bit from continuous use, so keep that in mind before you buy.

2. Hello Kitty Flannels

Of course, if you’re planning on gathering ’round the campfire or the fireplace for the winter, then a good ol’ plaid flannel just might do the trick. Honestly, I saw this flannel on an online ad for Hello Kitty merch at JCPenney, but it didn’t look real. Hello Kitty’s face looked like a sticker that had been plastered on the shirt pocket.

However, when I saw it in real life, I was pleasantly surprised that her face was in fact stitched on and that it could make a cute winter outfit, especially if you’re planning on rocking a cool, baby pink aesthetic this winter. It did look oversized and felt lightweight, so you may want to layer with a camisole or shirt underneath and probably wear a coat.

Check out JCPenney’s entire Hello Kitty collection here!

Second Stop: Boxlunch

1. Bring on the gingerbread!

A Hello Kitty & Friends themed gingerbread backpack, purse, and wallet – so dang cute! I was gushing with excitement when I saw this collection. Boxlunch is always out for my money, but I resisted the temptation, but you might not… hehe

2. The more affordable items…

The Boxlunch bag collections are always too cute to handle, but they’re also super expensive. If that’s not your jazz, but you still want to add some Hello Kitty flair to your 2023 holidays, then consider getting a Hello Kitty or Cinnamoroll Christmas stockings instead or fluffy, slip-resistant Hello Kitty socks to keep your piggies warm and toasty this winter.

3. The miscellaneous stuff that draws us in…

You know, every time I enter Boxlunch, I torture myself a bit. The store finds a way to make me want to buy items that I probably don’t need or would not use on a regular basis, but hey that’s branding for you. Here are some other items you might enjoy or get for yourself or a friend as a gift:

My Melody x Jujutsu Kaisen Sweatshirt

I’ll be honest – sometimes, I prefer My Melody to Hello Kitty, and this was one of those times.

Gudetama Smashy Toy (not sold online 😦 )

Gudetama is an accurate representation of the issues my generation is facing in life and in the current state of the workforce. I love his blank yet somewhat judgmental looking stare and his general outlook in life. What’s not to love about this little guy?

Mugs, Hats, and Chopsticks

You’ve definitely seen some of these items before if you browsed through my Hello Kitty Thanksgiving Gift Guide. If you haven’t, I definitely recommend that you check it out.

Page clips among an arsenal of Hello Kitty snacks

I don’t read unless I really have to, but if you’re an avid reader or want to impress one, then consider getting them some cute Hello Kitty & Friends page clips (they’re basically bookmarks) so they never lose the page they’re on.

Third Stop: Showcase

This store brands itself as the “Home of the Hottest Trends,” and they do have a lot of trendy stuff. I love that they always have a sale where you can buy 3 of one item and get any 4th item (of lesser value than the first 3, of course – they have to make an income) of your choice free.

Showcase still has the typical Hello Kitty snack boxes, keychains, and randomized figurines, but during my visit, they had already stocked on the Hello Kitty Holiday Squishmallows.

At my location, they still had the summer and regular collections available for purchase, so if you don’t see it online, check your brick-and-mortar store – you never know what you might find!

Fourth Stop: Miniso

Lately, I’ve been seeing a bunch of kawaii culture / Japanese merch stores pop up at the mall, shopping plazas, and other random areas in my town. And, it’s so strange! Ten years ago, heck even just 3 years ago, it would have been impossible to find a store like it. If brick-and-mortar Sanrio stores start popping up again, then I’m convinced that we’re definitely living in a different era.

As you can see from the images below, this store has everything, and at very affordable prices too!

You can find anything from Hello Kitty / Sanrio figurine sets, lunchboxes, totes, bins, coloring books, crayons, and markers, magnets, bathroom hooks, mirrors, hairbrushes, nail files, organizers, nightlights, stickers, Hello Kitty x Creme Shop makeup, and so much more!

I mean, I got my Hello Kitty placemats and bathmats from this place, so this store’s got something for everyone.

The only issue with this store is similar to my issue with Primark – you can’t get anything online! If you see something you like, you have to buy it in store, and another location may not carry the same items or brands.

Still, the dopamine boost I get from this store is worth it, even if I didn’t end up buying anything this time around (although this wallet down here did tempt me – it was only $9!)

Fifth Stop: Hot Topic

I mean, what’s a Hello Kitty mall adventure without stopping by Hot Topic? I still remember that it was around Winter 2019/Spring 2020 when Hello Kitty started making regular appearances in this store with the Cup Noodles x Hello Kitty collaboration, which I was not impressed with by any means. The quality of the shirts and sweatshirts was awful, and you could see the pilling from the promotional pictures.

But, I digress… ever since that time, I’ve seen a very steady growth of Sanrio items. Honestly, nothing I hadn’t already seen was in the store. It was also hard to get pictures of the merch because the store was crowded when I visited, but I did manage to snap a pic of this Hello Kitty plushi-er –pillow and blanket set.

Yes, it’s a pillow…

Final Stop: Hallmark

Yes, I always visit the mall’s Hallmark shop every time I’m on a Hello Kitty mall adventure because usually, Hallmarks will sell the Hello Kitty Squishmallow collections for a much better price than that found in Showcase, Mind Games, and other merch stores. And that’s a collector’s tip right there…

The Final Haul

Hallmark took most of my money during this adventure. I ended up getting the cuties below – a My Melody squishy in a Christmas red plaid outfit, a gingerbread Hello Kitty squishy, and the winter drink squishy. They were just too cute to pass up.

(As I’m writing this post, I discovered that Boxlunch is having a 20%-30% off Black Friday sale on the My Melody and Cinnamoroll Christmas Squishmallows – get them before they sell out there! And Walmart has the gingerbread Hello Kitty squishy for only $13 – that’s a steal!)

And, I did purchase the Gudetama squishy toy… for my desk.. for when I’m frustrated and stressed… yep, that’s about it.

So, if you’re feeling a little down and need some Christmas (or other happy) cheer, I encourage you to take a trip to your local mall or shopping center to see what you can find – you really never know where Hello Kitty is hiding nowadays.

Take care, and I hope you have a great winter season!

-L