Disney Ooshies end early, Woolworths responds to public outcry

The supermarket giant broke hearts by revealing the collectables would disappear early. And here’s why they’re now gone for good.

Supermarket giant Woolworths sparked chaos on Monday after announcing the premature end of its wildly popular Disney Ooshies promotion.

The collectables – including 36 beloved Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar characters such as Darth Vader, Elsa, Buzz Lightyear and Moana – were supposed to be available until the promotion ended on October 20.

But “unprecedented demand” has forced the grocery heavyweight to call it off earlier than planned, with Ooshies stock set to be depleted by the end of the week.

The collectables included 36 beloved Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar characters. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths

A Woolworths spokesman told news.com.au while previous collectables campaigns had also been hugely popular, the demand for Disney Ooshies in particular had gone through the roof, catching the company off guard.

And sadly, despite the massive demand and outcry over the promo’s untimely end, Woolies has quashed hopes of a comeback any time soon.

“At Woolworths, we’re always looking for ways to create a bit of fun and excitement for our customers,” the spokesman said.

“Our Disney+ Ooshies have proven extraordinarily popular with customers, to the point we had to conclude the program early due to customers collecting the last of our stock.”

He said the campaigns were planned more than a year in advance, meaning it wouldn’t be possible to simply reorder more stock now to keep the promo running.

“These collectibles take more than 12 months to plan and the quantity produced is based on our experience of running many collectable campaigns that we’ve previously offered,” the spokesman said.

He said the reason this line of collectables had been snapped up so fast was because the characters included in the mix had broad appeal and offered something for everyone.

“We attribute much of the success of our Disney+ Ooshies to customers of all ages connecting with the Disney+ universes, across Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar, there was a character for all types of Disney+ fans to collect and enjoy,” he said.

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The demand for the latest Ooshies range took Woolies by surprise.

“To our customers, we thank you for your excitement and engagement with the Disney+ Ooshies and apologise for any frustration or disappointment caused by running out of stock.

“For those who are still looking to finish their sets, we recommend safely swapping extras or duplicates with family and friends who have also been collecting.”

Woolworths has run several collectable programs over the past nine years, which has given the company insights into the quantity to be ordered and produced.

While Woolworths knew the latest line would be a hit, there was even greater demand than predicted.

However, many customers have still been able to complete their collection, with many sharing snaps of their sets on social media.

While Woolworths ran “swap days” in stores to help shoppers complete their sets during previous campaigns, COVID-19 made it impossible this time around, posing another challenge for keen collectors.