McDonald's Japan has decided to postpone its forthcoming promotional toy giveaway tied to the popular manga series "One Piece," citing issues stemming from a recent Pokémon campaign that sparked widespread complaints. The fast-food chain announced this decision on Thursday, in light of complaints about excessive food waste and the resale of collectible cards, leading to piles of discarded meals on the streets.
Earlier this month, McDonald's launched a three-day giveaway of limited-edition Pokémon cards with "Happy Set" meals which saw customers lining up in droves and purchasing in bulk. However, many locations experienced a stockout on the first day, leading to scenes of food being left behind and discarded. Following this backlash, the company has now opted to replace the One Piece toy promotion—which was set to kick off on August 29—with toys from previous Happy Set offerings.
In response to the complaints, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has also urged McDonald's to improve its sales strategies to mitigate further food waste. The "One Piece" series is immensely popular in Japan and revolves around a young pirate, known for its adventurous themes and countless merchandising tie-ins.
This isn't McDonald's first run-in with similar complications; a prior collaboration with the "Chiikawa" manga faced challenges with online resales. After issuing a public apology, McDonald's Japan expressed its commitment to reviewing its promotional practices to avoid recurrence of these issues. Collectible Pokémon cards, especially ones featuring characters like Pikachu, garner extensive interest from both children and adult collectors, sometimes fetching prices way into thousands of dollars.
Last week, the company indicated a need for a strategic overhaul in their promotional campaigns to prevent large-scale purchases intended for resale, which have led to congestion in restaurants and unnecessary waste of food.
Earlier this month, McDonald's launched a three-day giveaway of limited-edition Pokémon cards with "Happy Set" meals which saw customers lining up in droves and purchasing in bulk. However, many locations experienced a stockout on the first day, leading to scenes of food being left behind and discarded. Following this backlash, the company has now opted to replace the One Piece toy promotion—which was set to kick off on August 29—with toys from previous Happy Set offerings.
In response to the complaints, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has also urged McDonald's to improve its sales strategies to mitigate further food waste. The "One Piece" series is immensely popular in Japan and revolves around a young pirate, known for its adventurous themes and countless merchandising tie-ins.
This isn't McDonald's first run-in with similar complications; a prior collaboration with the "Chiikawa" manga faced challenges with online resales. After issuing a public apology, McDonald's Japan expressed its commitment to reviewing its promotional practices to avoid recurrence of these issues. Collectible Pokémon cards, especially ones featuring characters like Pikachu, garner extensive interest from both children and adult collectors, sometimes fetching prices way into thousands of dollars.
Last week, the company indicated a need for a strategic overhaul in their promotional campaigns to prevent large-scale purchases intended for resale, which have led to congestion in restaurants and unnecessary waste of food.
