Image copyright @therockburyImage caption The Rock shopping centre in Bury, Greater Manchester, told queues were constructing at 10:45 BST
A cheap teddy offer which left shoppers with young children queuing for up to eight hours amid chaotic scenes has been abandoned over “safety concerns”.
Build–ABear Workshop was offering UK clients a chance to buy any bear, which can expense up to PS52, for the price of their child’s age.
At Leeds’ White Rose Shopping Centre police were called when queues of “about a mile long” formed.
The company said the response had been “overwhelming and unprecedented”.
There have also been reports of long queues in US shopping centre, where the American company was also putting on the same promotion on Thursday.
Image caption Birmingham’s Bullring shop was among those that shut early Image copyrightPaul ShawImage caption Police were called to the White Rose Centre in Leeds due to the popularity of the “pay your age” event
Many of the company’s stores – including Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre, Birmingham’s Bullring, Telford and Basingstoke – had to shut for the rest of the day following demand.
Leeds shopper Paul Shaw said: “Crazy scenes at the White Rose – Build–ABear is in chaos.
“Queuing from the store, all the way outside, approximately five-hour queue. There are even police here trying to keep the peace.”
The queue was already enormous by the time I got there on my day off with my son.
Someone told us that people had been queuing there since 06:30 BST and one woman told us she had travelled for more than an hour to get there because it was her closest store.
We waited an hour-and-a-half but it was too much for my little boy and I believed there would be no bears left so we took a PS12 voucher that could be redeemed another time.
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Media captionTwitter user @ JRW_Fitness walked the length of this queue in Blackpool
Parents on social media criticised the event, saying they were “disgusted” by the lack of organisation. Some said their children were left “heartbroken” when they could not get a bear.
The shop in Newcastle’s Intu Metrocentre stopped more people joining the queue “to ensure there are enough bears available for those in the queue”.
On its website Build–ABear describes itself as a “one-of-a-kind global brand that kids love and mothers trust”.
The US brand was established in 1997 and has constructed more than 160 million teddy bears to date.
Build–ABear stores offer children a chance to design, stuff and dress their own teddy bear. Clients can even add sounds and aromas to their toy.
Basic bears expense between PS12 and PS27 with limited edition toys expensing more than PS50. Clothing for teddies also ranges from PS4. 50 to PS15.
Amanda Bailey, 42, from Mickleover, Derbyshire, started queuing outside the Derby shop with her two daughters, aged two and five, at 09:10 and did not get inside until 12:40.
“I thought I would give the queue an hour and then you get sucked in, ” she said.
“Once inside it took a further two hours to get her bears because of the “stuffing counter queues”.
She said although she saved quite a bit on the cost of the PS21. 50 she bought for both children, she added: “When I look back I will probably believe, ‘what have I done that for? ‘, especially with what I will end up paying for parking.”
Image caption Amanda Bailey queued for hours at the Derby store with daughters Paige( pictured) and Amelia
Jolene Quarrell, 34, of Swadlincote, said she and her friend spent about the same length of day queuing both outside and inside the Derby store.
“I thought it would be nice for the kids but it’s been a bit too hectic to enjoy it, ” she said.
Chloe Lythgoe, 19, took her two children to the Warrington store and described the scene as “like something out of a movie”.
“Children were becoming distressed from the waiting and the heat inside the shopping centre, ” she said.
Image copyrightGreg RobertsonImage caption Crowds queued through The Centre in Livingston, West Lothian – and spilled out on to the pavement outside
In a statement on its Facebook page, Build–ABear Workshop said: “We understand our guests are disappointed, and we are working to address the situation.
“We will reach out directly to our valued guests as soon as possible.”
A mother in Milton Keynes said she had taken her five-year-old daughter out of school to ensure they could get in the queue for a discounted bear.
“She’s merely five, they’re not really doing much in school that’s important at that age, ” she said.
Some customers praised the efforts of staff working at stores around the country who remained calm during the situation and offered vouchers to those who could not get into for the event.
Image caption Client in the Derby shop said it took them another two hours to buy bears once in the store because of extra queues
Gemma Butler, marketing director at the Chartered Institute of Marketing, said: “This was an ill thought-out and unprofessional promotional execution, one that not only risks their own brand reputation, but has the potential to bring the wider marketing sector into disrepute.”
She added: “If their aim was to highlight demand, Build–ABear ought to have considered the consequences of thousands of children going home tonight disappointed and in tears.”
Image copyright @intuChapelfieldImage caption The Intu shopping centre in Chapelfield, Norwich, warned clients the queue was “extremely long”
Image copyright @therockbury Image caption The Rock shopping centre in Bury, Greater Manchester, told queues were constructing at 10:45 BST 
Image caption Birmingham’s Bullring shop was among those that shut early 
Image copyright Paul Shaw Image caption Police were called to the White Rose Centre in Leeds due to the popularity of the “pay your age” event Image caption Amanda Bailey queued for hours at the Derby store with daughters Paige( pictured) and Amelia
Image copyright Greg Robertson Image caption Crowds queued through The Centre in Livingston, West Lothian – and spilled out on to the pavement outside
Image caption Client in the Derby shop said it took them another two hours to buy bears once in the store because of extra queues
Image copyright @intuChapelfield Image caption The Intu shopping centre in Chapelfield, Norwich, warned clients the queue was “extremely long”
