McDonald's in Japan strengthening Happy Meal guidelines to prevent further controversy
In a bid to move past the chaos that ensued with the Pokémon Happy Meal, McDonald's Japan has launched a new collaboration - the Sanrio Happy Meal. This new offering, featuring toys of beloved characters like My Melody, Kuromi, and a train toy, along with a picture book featuring Cinnamoroll, aims to provide a different experience for customers.
Unlike the Pokémon Happy Meal, which primarily focused on trading cards, the Sanrio Happy Meal includes toys and a picture book. The launch of this new meal is a response to the Pokémon Happy Meal chaos that occurred in August, where long lines of fans and scalpers formed, leading to disputes, massive food waste, and lucrative businesses.
To prevent such incidents from recurring, McDonald's Japan has implemented strict measures. The company has limited the number of Sanrio Happy Meals a customer can buy to three and strictly prohibited resale. The meals are only available in-store and not via mobile orders, drive-thru, or delivery to better control sales.
McDonald's has a zero-tolerance policy towards food waste and has implemented rules to prevent it for the Sanrio Happy Meal. Purchases of Sanrio Happy Meals can only be made directly in stores.
The Pokémon Happy Meal chaos was not the first time McDonald's actions led to long lines and overcrowded stores. A similar incident occurred with the BTS meals and Hello Kitty plush figures in Singapore in 2015.
Kieran Gibb, founder of Monogic, a Hong Kong-based marketing agency for restaurants, stated that the Pokémon Happy Meal chaos could leave a 'bitter taste' among Japanese consumers, particularly in a society that values social etiquette and the avoidance of food waste.
Despite the challenges, McDonald's stock has risen by around six percent over the past year. It remains to be seen how the Sanrio Happy Meal will be received by customers and whether it will help McDonald's Japan regain the trust of its consumers.
Representatives of McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
