McDonald's Brings Back Teenie Beanie Babies with Expanded Lineup and New Rules

Strategic Insights -

Starting Friday, McDonald's will be serving up a dozen new Teenie Beanie Babies, the Golden Arches' latest promotion at over 470 restaurants in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. The introduction of new characters, including retired full-sized Beanie Babies, has sparked excitement among fans. The promotion follows last year's successful Happy Meal program, which saw customers go crazy for the miniature toys and become instant collectibles.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new Teenie Beanie Babies lineup includes eight characters based on retired full-sized Beanie Babies, in addition to four new ones, including Doby the Doberman, Bongo the Monkey, Twigs the Giraffe, and Inch the Worm.
  • This year's promotion has a larger character lineup, with 12 Teenie Beanie Babies available, compared to 10 last year.
  • Customers can buy up to five of the 4-inch animals, fish, insects, and reptiles per visit, with visits limited to once every two hours.
  • Prices for individual Teenie Beanie Babies remain at $1.69, although terms and prices may vary by restaurant.
  • McDonald's has increased the production of Teenie Beanie Babies, anticipating a higher demand and aiming to prevent the stock-out issue that occurred last year.
  • Hard-core fans will not be able to clear the shelves of the toys in one fell swoop, as some franchises, like the Des Plaines McDonald's, are now limited to selling 2,200 units per day.
  • The promotion's success, both last year and this year, has made the Teenie Beanie Babies a popular collectible item, with some charities even auctioning them off for high prices.

Statistics:

  • 100 million Teenie Beanie Babies were ordered for last year's promotion.
  • Des Plaines McDonald's sold over 2,200 units per day during the first week of last year's promotion.
  • The number of Teenie Beanie Babies available has increased from 10 last year to 12 this year.
  • Individual prices for Teenie Beanie Babies remain at $1.69.

Sources:

  • "McDonald's to bring back Teenie Beanie Babies" by Lorilyn Rackl, Daily Herald, no date provided.