Thousands tell Coles to 'stick' their new Stikeez little shop promotion
It was the marketing craze that took Australian shoppers by storm – but Coles’ latest mini collectables announcement has invoked a scathing reaction, with thousands of customers promising to boycott the supermarket giant.
It’s been just two days since Coles unveiled Stikeez – a partnered campaign with the Healthy Kids Association that features 24 types of fruit and vegetables aimed at encouraging children to eat more fresh produce.
After selling out the original and Christmas themed Little Shop ranges, Coles proudly promoted the likes of Marie the Mango, Carlo the Cucumber and Sunny the Strawberry – but as the company’s CEO Steve Cain quickly found out, not everyone is buying into it.
More than 3,300 protestors have now emailed Mr Cain to “tell Coles to ‘stick’ their plastic Stikeez”, insisting that they will cause a “legacy of plastic waste”.
‘A disgraceful waste’
“They say it’s to encourage healthy eating for kids. We say it’s just going to lead to more plastic ending up in our oceans and landfills – it’s a disgraceful waste,” the argument reads.
“Just like your ‘Little Shop’ promotion, these plastic items will find their way into creeks and the ocean injuring marine life, or will sit for thousands of years in landfill after they are inevitably thrown out.
“Surely we can encourage healthy eating without the wasteful and useless plastic consumption.
“I will stop shopping at Coles if you continue these wasteful plastic promotions.”
That's it, I'm done. I have been a loyal customer for over 30 years and was horrified by the Coles Mini campaign. Now I…
Posted by Meg McGowan on Monday, February 11, 2019
😡 argh Coles why don't U become a leader and stop using planet earth as a dumping ground? Have you thought about the new…
Posted by Jody Veitch on Monday, February 11, 2019
Minis designed for longevity, Coles say
A Coles spokesperson told Yahoo News that the Stikees are designed for customers to keep “for a long time” and not dispose of, adding that they can dispose of the wrapping at their nearest store.
“The Stikeez are collectable items and designed for customers to keep and not dispose of,” the spokesperson said.
“Customers can choose not to receive them and for those who do we hope they enjoy them for a long time into the future. Collectable cases are also available for purchase to ensure the collectables can be displayed and kept.
“The Stikeez campaign only runs for a limited time and customers are able to recycle the individual wrappers at their nearest Coles store. We have ensured that the plastic material used for the wrappers can be accepted and processed by our in-store RedCycle program.
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