McDonalds Japan Ends Pokemon TCG Happy Meal Early Amidst Scalping Chaos & Food Waste

[RAMROD 117,098]

A promotional deal in Japan involving McDonald’s and Pokemon ended prematurely on Aug 9, as reports of card resales and food wastage poured in from disgruntled social media users.

From Aug 9 to 11, those who bought the fast-food chain’s Happy Meals – a set meal targeted primarily at children – were to also receive a pack of exclusive Pokemon cards.

Such collectible cards have seen a

global resurgence of interest since the Covid-19 pandemic,

with new launches sometimes accompanied by scenes of chaos.

Each Happy Meal was bundled with a pack of two random picks from a pool of cards exclusive to the promotion.

 

Following the start of the promotion, pictures have surfaced online of bags of food left unclaimed in McDonald’s Japan stores, or left haphazardly outside them.

“We regret to inform you that the distribution of Pokemon cards to customers who purchased the Pokemon Happy Meal, which was scheduled for three days only from Aug 9 to Aug 11, has ended at many stores due to higher than expected sales,” said McDonald’s Japan in a statement on Aug 9.

“We sincerely apologize for not being able to meet the expectations of our customers who were looking forward to the product due to the early end of distribution.”

The statement did not address criticisms of McDonald’s Japan’s lack of crowd management or the improper allocation of stock, or the incidences of food wastage that had risen from the promotion.

 

Many social media users denounced those who bought the Happy Meals only for the cards while leaving the food behind, sharing images of rows of unclaimed bags of meals lined up on tables at the stores, with only the card packs taken out.

Others shared photos of piles of Happy Meals dumped haphazardly outside the outlets they were bought from and stuffed into the baskets of parked bicycles nearby.

“Early morning chaos in Shibuya. McDonald’s burgers and fries scattered on the streets, turning into a feast for pigeons. We ask customers to take responsibility for the food they buy and properly dispose of trash,” said an X user.

The post was accompanied by a video of flocks of pigeons pecking at presumably food scraps next to crumpled McDonald’s bags.

“I don’t know if you want to resell Happy Meals, but isn’t it a bit much to keep buying them all up like this every time? And throwing away the burgers is just way too immoral, seriously, I wish something could be done about it. What a waste,” said another X user, posting a video of two individuals dumping bags of Happy Meals into rubbish bags.

Happy Meals cost slightly more than 500 yen (S$4.35) per set, with an order limit of five meals per person during the Pokemon promotion.

However, this did not appear to deter some buyers, who reportedly circumvented the limit by using multiple mobile accounts to place orders.

The cards have been put up for sale on e-commerce platforms for several times the price of the meal.

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/mcdonalds-japan-ends-pokemon-card-happy-meal-promotion-amid-reports-of-food-wastage-scalping

Edited August 14, 2025 by artdoll

[NeanderthalDavid 804]

That’s gross…

[Ayesha Erotica 1,924]

It wasn't stopped because of food waste, as the headline indirectly suggests, which indirectly provides a moral justification and puts McDonald's in a positive light.

The offer was simply stopped because it was sold out. If they had more, they would have continued selling despite the food waste. They simply miscalculated the supply and demand.

[Guest]

Scalpers should be burnt at stakes

[bpmMonkey 7,730]

such disgusting behavior coming from grown people having no sensibility for anything, people literally starving to death around the world and they think this is an okay thing to do for a fn child toy. Hope y'all's ankles swell just like Donald's. 

[Rahrahbitchson 23,262]

Is giving LM begging for another Chromatica video just to let 911 flop

[pachinko 10,755]

Imagine wasting your money on tangibles when you can spend it on me instead. 

[Bronco 25,131]

6 minutes ago, Rahrahbitchson said:

Is giving LM begging for another Chromatica video just to let 911 flop

And then wondering why we didn't get any more from Mayhem

[Horny Chicken 10,935]

The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam also had the same incident. They were giving away Van Gogh Pikachu.

[princedeeblebleble 3,648]

9 minutes ago, Bronco said:

And then wondering why we didn't get any more from Mayhem

I mean.. they also had a similar issue with the Disease video and it was the lead single that got basically the same treatment as 911.  

[HotLikeMexico 6,579]

2 hours ago, elsamars said:

Scalpers should be burnt at stakes

And the idiots buying too.