Toy Company’s Embarrassing Blunder: Misprinted Dolls Pulled from Shelves
In a shocking turn of events, thousands of Mattel’s “Wicked”-themed fashion dolls have been yanked from store shelves, but not due to popular demand. Instead, a packaging misprint has led to the dolls’ sudden removal. The error? A link to a pornographic website, rather than the intended Universal’s “Wicked” movie website.
A Regrettable Mistake
Mattel has issued a statement apologizing for the blunder, advising parents to discard the packaging or obscure the link. The company is taking swift action to rectify the situation, although it remains unclear whether they will reprint the packages or provide stickers to cover the incorrect website domain.
Retailers Take Action
Major retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy have swiftly removed the dolls from their online stores. Other retailers, such as Kohl’s and DSW, are also taking steps to address the issue. As of Monday, some sites were still working to remove the listings.
Industry Experts Weigh In
“This was likely an innocent oversight that made it through the normal processes,” said James Zahn, editor in chief of The Toy Book. “Most consumers… will never read the fine print on a package, and at the end of the day, the packaging is designed to end up in the trash.”
Impact on Revenue
The mishap comes at a critical time, just as Universal is flooding retail shelves with “Wicked”-related products ahead of the film’s November 22 release. Mattel may see its revenue impacted by the cost of removing the dolls, although the extent of the impact remains uncertain.
Opportunistic Resellers Capitalize
Meanwhile, resellers are cashing in on the mistake, snapping up the dolls and listing them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace at inflated prices. Dozens of the misprinted dolls are already available online, with list prices ranging from $40 to $2,100.
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