Build-A-Bear's 'Pay Your Age' day was an absolute disaster
Build-A-Bear Workshop is a childhood staple, but according to some angry parents, it's just going to remind their children of a horrible day at the mall.
The toyshop ran a one-day promotion on Thursday, promising customers that they could pay their age for any stuffed animal. (Bears typically cost anywhere from $14 to upwards of $60.)
Except, the fun summer activity did not go as planned.
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People responded enthusiastically for the promotion, lining up in front of stores for hours before they even opened.
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"We feel it is important to share that, based on the information available to us before the day began," Build-A-Bear later said in a press release. "We could not have predicted this reaction to our Pay Your Age Day event."
"Reaction" is a bit of an understatement. Just look at these crowds of unruly children:
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Some compared the chaos and crowds to apocalyptic survival situations.
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Mobbed with customers and overwhelmed with security issues, Build-A-Bear shut down the event halfway through the day.
"The response to our Pay Your Age Day event has been overwhelming and unprecedented in our 21-year history," Build-A-Bear said in a statement. "The safety of our Guests and associates is our top priority."
Some local authorities told Build-A-Bear that its stores couldn't accept more customers, and said "extreme crowds" made it unsafe for the event to continue.
"We understand our affected Guests may be disappointed, and we are working to address the situation," Build-A-Bear said.
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To appease those who waited in the excessive lines, the toy company handed out vouchers that could be redeemed until the end of August.
But that wasn't enough for angry parents -- and adult plushie enthusiasts, apparently -- who were infuriated by the fact that they couldn't get their hands on a cheap stuffed bear.
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But some Twitter users were skeptical about the impassioned responses Build-A-Bear fans claimed to have.
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Others joked about the promotion's planning oversights.
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The disaster of an promotion also drew comparisons to other massive events that fell apart, like Fyre Festival, the music festival scam that left rich people stranded in the Bahamas, and Tanacon, a YouTuber's attempt and an anti-VidCon that was shut down by police for overcrowding.
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"Build-A-Bear Workshop takes seriously the privilege of providing our valued Guests with an opportunity to make a furry friend," the company concluded in their statement. There was no mention of running another pay your age day promotion in the future, which for the sake of mall cops worldwide, is probably for the best.
