foodpanda SG's Pau-Pau plushies listed on Carousell for SG$150

Foodpanda Singapore's Pau-Pau plushies are not only a hit among consumers but also among scalpers. Just last week, a few of the plushies were being sold on Carousell for SG$150. One was even priced at SG$500. While these listings are no longer available on Carousell, a search by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE found that Pau-Pau plushies are still being resold on the platform and the items are priced between SG$30 to SG$50.

The plushies were recently made available to the public via a partnership with Burger King Singapore. The campaign offered customers a free Pau-Pau plushie with every purchase of Burger King over SG$30. The plushie was promoted in-app and through push notifications as well as a dedicated carousel tile on the app. Burger King was chosen because it is one of foodpanda's top restaurant partners.

While foodpanda did not specify the steps it will take to prevent scalpers from reselling the plushie, Laura Kantor, marketing and sustainability director, said Pau-Pau is definitely a big hit with consumers. "We received a really enthusiastic response to our partnership with Burger King, with some outlets running low or out of stock of plushies in a few days," she said.

In fact, foodpanda Singapore's employees have also been requesting for Pau-Pau merchandise since its launch in January. Hence, as part of foodpanda’s 10th anniversary celebrations, all Singapore based employees were given two cuddly Pau-Pau plushies - one to keep and one to share with a friend. "We’re really grateful for all the love people are showing for Pau-Pau," she said.

Meanwhile, Carousell's spokesperson said Carousell is an open marketplace for buyers and sellers to connect. "Buyers and sellers have the discretion to transact on terms and price agreeable between both parties, as long as the transaction is not prohibited, illegal, or detrimental to public health and safety," the spokesperson said.

"To foster a conducive marketplace for selling and buying, we encourage sellers to accurately set the price on their listings to reflect the amount they are willing to sell at. In accordance with our listing rules, mispriced or fake listings, that are marked up at exorbitant prices, are not allowed on our marketplace and will be taken down," the spokesperson added.

Despite its multiple warnings and efforts to remove listings with exorbitant prices, Carousell has become a go-to platform for scalpers to reap rewards. Last year, the BTS meal by McDonald's was resold on Carousell and the items were priced between SG$6 to SG$100,000. The listed items included the BTS meal packaging, the sauces that came with the meal, and the entire meal itself.

Carousell previously pre-empted the situation and warned users not to overprice their listings. Following the meal's launch, it also shared an Instagram post reiterating its stance. Likewise, McDonald's Singapore's spokesperson also said previously that it does not encourage customers to buy the BTS meal for resale. In 2019, McDonald's loungewear was also resold on Carousell for as high as SG$150. Masks too were also resold on the platform for as high as SG$288 for a box of 20 at the start of COVID-19 in 2020.

Meanwhile, Pau-Pau has been active in foodpanda Singapore's marketing initiatives. Last month, it took over Flash Coffee as part of its month-long promotional campaign Pandafest and also had its own sustainable beer created.

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