McDonald's Japan has cancelled a recent Pokémon Happy Meals campaign after resellers left large amounts of discarded food waste. In a statement from August 11, McDonald's Japan says "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers who regularly use McDonald's, as well as to our store staff, local residents, and tenant owners".
The Happy Meals (called Happy Sets in Japan) campaign kicked off on August 8. Restaurants across Japan would sell Happy Meals featuring one of nine plastic Pokémon toys, plus two limited-edition Pokémon TCG cards. One of these would be a Pikachu card, while the other would feature a random Pokémon.
In a statement announcing the campaign, Pokémon Japan specified that the cards and toys were designed with children in mind. Additionally, the announcement asked customers to "refrain from purchasing for resale or other commercial purposes". "Also, please refrain from ordering more than you can eat."
Three days after the Happy Meal campaign kicked off, McDonald's Japan confirmed it had seen "congestion and confusion in and around our stores, as well as the abandonment and disposal of ordered food". Videos appeared online showing large queues and piles of discarded food as collectors clamored to get hold of the limited-edition cards.
In Japan, a McDonald's Happy Meal typically sells for around $3.40 (510 yen). However, you can find eBay listings selling complete sets of their promo cards for $50 or more.
"McDonald's does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of resale, or the abandonment or disposal of food", McDonald's Japan says in its full statement. "This incident clearly violates our long-held philosophy of 'providing a fun dining experience for children and families' and our stance as a restaurant, and we sincerely acknowledge that our response was inadequate."
Going forward, McDonald's Japan promises to impose stricter sales on the purchase of Happy Meals during specific campaigns. This could even include restricting mobile orders and deliveries. McDonald's Japan will also apparently deny purchases to any customer found making bulk purchases, lining up at the counter multiple times, or being rude or intimidating to staff.
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