McDonald’s Japan has ended its popular Pokémon card Happy Meal promotion, which initially sold out within a day due to high demand. The campaign aimed at children came with toys and Pokémon cards but was marred by resellers buying the meals and discarding the food, leaving trash behind.
The company apologized for not preparing adequately for the high demand, contradicting its usual philosophy of providing a fun dining experience for families. McDonald’s vowed to reformulate its strategy to prevent similar incidents in the future, including limiting meal purchases and restricting online orders.
Large crowds flocked to stores during the promotion, with resold cards selling for tens of thousands of yen online. This Pokémon card craze has been popular among both children and adults, with rare cards fetching upwards of $1,000.
As a veteran player of the beloved franchise, it is clear that many enthusiasts would have been sad to see this promotion come to an end.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/pokemon-mcdonalds-happy-collectors-e75b7f0213b8f73a0e07eb282b33e6d9