McDonald's was under siege yesterday after one million Winnie the Pooh toys were snapped up less than one week into a planned five-week promotion.
Many of the 143 restaurants ran out of stock within days of launching the stuffed toys on Friday, leaving collectors frantic and switchboards jammed.
'We pulled the TV advertising on Tuesday because there was no point in creating demand we were not able to satisfy,' vice-president of marketing and communications Brian Weaver said. 'Normally we would expect each of the five characters to last a week, and that's what we were counting on, but we blew it.' More than 750,000 toys - costing $18 with any purchase - had been sold by last night with the rest expected to go today.
Sales of the five characters - a standard Pooh holding his honey pot, Tigger, Pooh in scout uniform, Eeyore and Pooh in pyjamas - are expected to net $2 million for the Ronald McDonald House in Sha Tin, which provides accommodation for families of children in hospital.
Margaret Cheung Wing-han, consulting her son on a mobile phone in the Quarry Bay McDonald's yesterday, was desperately seeking Pooh in pyjamas.
'I came from Chai Wan and then Shau Kei Wan to here, but they're all sold out,' she said. 'My son is 24,' she added.