On May 30th, a netizen posted on social media the rules for receiving Haidilao toys, stating that children under 14 years old can receive them for free, and customers over 14 years old can obtain them through coin exchange, 9.9 yuan purchase, and other means. The related topic has been widely discussed in society, among which # Haidilao Toy Adults Cannot Take It casually # topic has become the top trending topic on Weibo.
The opinions of netizens vary regarding the new regulations on toy collection. Some netizens believe that one of the reasons why they are attracted to Hai Di Lao is the presence of small toys, which makes them very disappointing. But some netizens also believe that after receiving a toy from Hai Di Lao, they can "share it on their social media" and "stop playing when they get home, and throw it away in a few days. It's really a waste to think about.". Some netizens have expressed that compared to children's love for toys, adults are more of a temporary novelty in toys and do not cherish them as much as children do. Indeed, benefits should be given to children who need them more.
In response, Haidilao stated that it has always been committed to creating a warm and joyful dining atmosphere, and its original intention of providing children's toys is like an amusement park. It hopes that children can have a happy meal and parents can take care of their children without worry. At the same time, we have also noticed the love of many non children's customers for toys and have launched various ways to obtain toys, such as point redemption, purchasing, and participating in store activities, to provide consumers with more choices. Haidilao values the feelings of every customer and will continue to optimize its services and experience in the future. We welcome valuable feedback from our customers.
Previously, in the impression of many people, Hai Di Lao toys became a major benefit in the dining experience, and "free toys" also attracted many consumers. However, toys obtained at zero cost have also reduced some consumers' sense of cherishing, and they are easily discarded shortly after the toy is purchased. In addition, on some second-hand platforms, there are also many people selling toys that can be collected for free at Hai Di Lao.
Just by searching on social media, you can find that there are many users who resell Haidilao toys on platforms such as Xianyu and Xiaohongshu. They have even established a gray industry chain of harvesting wool from stores and reselling through multiple channels, which has caused great waste of the high-quality benefits set by merchants. Earlier, some netizens criticized the malicious behavior of these unscrupulous "wool party", while others criticized that "this was originally a thoughtful service provided by merchants to customers, but it was sold without even unpacking the packaging.".
In fact, in the current booming children's economy, "toys" have become a key direction for many enterprises to exert their efforts. KFC, McDonald's, Starbucks and other companies have frequently gained popularity due to their toy peripherals, and the limited release of popular toys has also attracted a large number of fans, indirectly driving the operation and sales of their stores. Previously, McDonald's walkie talkies were being snatched from the consumer end, and McDonald's even rushed to restock. KFC's Kodak, Sanrio toys, and McDonald's Tetris game console are even fiercely competing in the secondary market.
In the view of industry insiders, doing a good job in the toy industry can increase the enjoyment of food for consumers, enhance brand attractiveness to a certain extent, increase interaction between consumers and brands, and even develop new business opportunities.