Sumi shortage surprises Olympic mascot's retailers
Last Updated: Friday, December 14, 2007 | 1:08 PM PT
CBC News
If you are trying to find Sumi this holiday season, you may be out of luck.
Two weeks after the 2010 Olympic mascot went on sale, the stuffed toy has sold out on store shelves.
Sales of Sumi toys, one of the 2010 Olympic mascots, have surprised retailers and the manufacturer.
(CBC)
Sumi is an animal guardian spirit that is part-bear, part-thunderbird and wears an orca whale hat.
Ironically, the manufacturers thought it would be the least popular, and expected the other mascots Miga and Quatchi to be in more demand.
Bob MacKerricher, president of Northern Lights, the Burnaby-based firm that has the rights to produce the mascots, told CBC News that initial research showed kids seemed to prefer the other two mascots.
"Miga was female, Quatchi was male and we really didn't know what to expect with Sumi," said Mackerricker
So the manufacturer skewed the ratio of production to produce eight Quatchis for every six Micas and every three Sumis.
At the Bay department store in downtown Vancouver, director Bill Stanbury said Sumi has been the runaway favourite, and he thinks it's because the mascot has an interesting story.
"He's a little different than the other mascots. You look at him, and he has hands and he has feet and he's different, and you need to understand how that story evolved," said Stanbury.
The toys are sold at the Bay and Zellers stores. The manufacturer has said there will be no more Sumis available before January, but Stanbury said he has managed to get an emergency supply that should arrive in time for Christmas.
Sumi stuffed toys are still available online at the VANOC website where staff said they had about 400 in stock as of Thursday afternoon.
