Build-A-Bear promotion + backfire. 8+ hour queues for teddy bears..

[Ravens_Shadow]

A cheap teddy offer which left shoppers with young children queuing for up to eight hours amid chaotic scenes has been abandoned over "safety concerns".

Build-A-Bear Workshop was offering UK customers a chance to buy any bear, which can cost up to £52, for the price of their child's age.

At Leeds' White Rose Shopping Centre police were called when queues of "about a mile long" formed.

The company said the response had been "overwhelming and unprecedented".

There have also been reports of long queues in US shopping centres, where the American company was also putting on the same promotion on Thursday.

Build-A-Bear runs a promotion where for July 12th, you can get a bear for the cost of your child's age. So you could buy a bear for your 3 year old for $3. Apparently the bears typically cost up to ~$50.

Lines were getting to be so long, and presumably disorderly, that they had to end the promotion, angering many.

Another classic tale for the sidewalker story books.

Just goes to show how most people value their time.

Source: Build-a-Bear shuts down single-day 'Pay Your Age' sale: It was so successful, it failed

Build-A-Bear shops stuffed amid offer chaos

 

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[kanunay]

Maybe not 100 percent failure - it's all over the news now. Kids everywhere that didn't know about it will want one after seeing everyone lining up for it.

 

[GPM]

I want to get a big pink bear for my daughter when she is born. My wife suggested I get her a build-a-bear because we can put our own voice into one of those voice boxes and stuff it in the hand ourselves.

I find those comments funny, that dude was mad because his wife apparently drove 100 MILES after work to save a few bucks on a bear. That would cost a fair bit of money in gas and wear and tear, not to mention the time requirement. For a damn bear!

My wife and I were our for Canada Day celebrations here on the 1st. There was a truck giving away a free small Tim's coffee, with a line cued around the block. She said "oh I want a coffee, lets get in line". I just about exploded at her about valuing her time, and then she started laughing at me. She gets it.