Fans of Sanrio's My Melody in a frenzy as McDonald's launches limited-edition food holder
PUBLISHED ONDecember 06, 2018 4:46 AMByNg Huiwen
SINGAPORE - Fans of Sanrio's My Melody waited in line at McDonald's outlets islandwide from the wee hours of Thursday (Dec 6) for a chance to snag a limited-edition food holder featuring the adorable bunny.
Photos posted by social media users on Thursday show snaking queues at outlets in Seletar Mall, Waterway Point in Punggol, Bukit Batok, Hougang and Bendemeer, among others.
In response to queries, a McDonald's spokesman said that the holders were sold out across Singapore by 11.30am.
Early birds were able to buy the holder at $6.90 each with any McDonald's order. The holders are priced at 890 yen (S$10.80) in Japan.
McDonald's Singapore announced on Facebook on Monday that it would be bringing the My Melody holders to fans here after the collectible soared to popularity across Japan.
It said that the holders were available from 4am at all outlets, including McCafe and McDonald's Drive-Thru.
Customers were also able to use the self-ordering kiosks to make their purchase. However, it was not available at dessert kiosks or via McDelivery and GrabFood.
Each person can buy up to five holders a transaction.
The holders come with compartments to hold a drink cup and a burger or fries.
As part of crowd-control measures, several McDonald's outlets distributed queue tickets to those in line.
The spokesman said that the queue system ensured that customers were able to buy the holders in a smooth and orderly manner, despite the overwhelming demand.
Instagram user Jacejace, who posted a photo of the long queue in Bendemeer and a box of at least four My Melody holders, said it took her about an hour before she got the items she wanted.
Another Instagram user, kimyong85, also shared a photo of his success at about 5am at the Drive-Thru outlet in Hougang Avenue 3.
Others, however, were puzzled by the queues near their homes in the early morning.
Twitter user Missus Mellow said that people had gathered at the McDonald's in her neighbourhood from as early as 6.45am.
Ok what is a 'my melody ticket' and why is there a long queue for it outside my area's mcdonalds as early as 6.45am ?
— Missus Mellow (@billaBangs) December 5, 2018
A few people took to social media to express their disappointment that the holder was sold out at outlets such as Punggol Waterway Point, Lucky Plaza in Orchard and Joo Koon by the time they reached.
Twitter user Martin Ang said that it was "unpleasant" to learn that the holders were all gone when he arrived at the Bukit Merah outlet at 7.45am.
The holders appeared in several listings on online marketplace Carousell soon after 4am, with a few going for as much as $30.
On Thursday, the McDonald's spokesman said that it currently does not have any plans to bring in additional stocks.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.