Maccas issues urgent update after Pokémon Happy Meals sell out at multiple locations

McDonald’s customers have been left disappointed after its Pokémon Happy Meals sold out in some restaurants in less than two days.

A sign on digital ordering screens at Maccas at Chatswood in Sydney reads: “Fully sold out of Pokémon Happy Meal toys. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

McDonald’s Pokemon Happy Meals range was always set to prove popular amid the craze for the characters. It launched across the country on November 5 and is sent to run until December 9 “or while stocks last.”

While this first release has flown out the door, nine.com.au has been told more stock will arrive in stores in the coming days.

“We’ve seen a huge response to the Pokémon Happy Meal, and we’re loving the excitement it’s creating for fans,” a spokesperson for McDonald’s Australia said.

“To help more customers get their hands on a Pokémon toy, which comes with two Pokémon TCG cards, they’re currently only available with the purchase of a Pokémon Happy Meal.”

Read more

The secret behind the pub crowned home of NSW’s best burger

There are 15 Pokémon toys in the Happy Meals range, however it isn’t just the toys that are sought after. The Happy Meals boxes are also proving to be popular collectors item, with some for sale online.

Each Happy Meal includes two Pokémon Trading Card Game cards from a 15-card set and one of 15 miniature Pokémon Happy Meal box toys.

McDonald’s Pokémon Happy Meals launch dropped the same week as the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game was released at major retailers across the country.

Queues formed at Kmart, Big W, and other toy retailers on November 6 as fans lined up to get their hands on the Pokémon Mega Evolution: Delta Reign range.

Items up for grabs included the Elite Trainer Box (ETB) with nine booster packs, card sleeves, dice, counters, and an exclusive Zarude promo card selling for $87.48, six-pack Booster Bundles, and Blister Packs of promotional cards and coins.

New Pokémon 30th Celebration Collection items were also released featuring Sylveon ex and Greninja ex collector tin variants, each containing five booster packs and promo cards.

Big W implemented a strict “one item total” per customer for this latest release to help prevent scalpers scooping up multiple items to sell, with Kmart following a similar in-store and online buying rule.

Some Big W and Kmart locations reportedly had staff monitoring lines to ensure those who had made a purchase didn’t immediately line up for second or third attempts.

The majority of the stock was also kept behind service desks or customer service counters. Kmart has also reportedly stopped midnight drops of Pokémon ranges.

Still, there were wild scenes in some locations when doors opened and fans raced to pick up items before they sold out, with many left empty-handed.

Collectors praised the new restrictions online, as true fans and collectors continue to call out those trying to profit from the beloved range with major online markups.

Big M and Kmart have been contacted for comment.