October 06, 2021, 02:35 PM
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Recently, a certain group of social media users went into full meltdown.
Not from the recent snafu with Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp vs Twitter/Telegram/Everything else, but over a popular stuffed shark plushie from IKEA.
Blåhaj, the toy shark.
たっぷりウィンナーに視線は釘付け pic.twitter.com/uu467gX7cd
— IKEAのサメ用アカ@ワタザメ (@IKEAsame) October 2, 2021
Discontinued from April 2022
According to Insider, social media went into disarray following a Sep. 26 tweet from Ikea UK Support, which stated that the toy shark is not available at the moment "due to supply issues".
The tweet added, "It may only be available for a short period of time as it is set to be discontinued from April 2022."
https://twitter.com/IKEAUKSupport/status/1442068174770294789?s=20
The latter half of the tweet sent many users into a tailspin. Dismayed at the unexpected news, fans campaigned for Blåhaj's return.
Outrage
On Twitter, some users took to vocally expressing their frustration in response to the tweet, while others, concerned, questioned if Blåhaj would be discontinued in their countries as well.
— Fritz von der Socke Stan (@TronicJohn) September 26, 2021
Hey @IKEAIE @IKEAIESupport is BLÅHAJ going to be discontinued for Ireland as well?
— @[email protected] (@ThunderySteak) September 27, 2021
I tried to buy one today in the Dublin store but I couldn't find any and the Ikea staff wasn't able to find it in the system
On Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, the blowback was massive, with over 300 million views for the hashtag #宜家网红玩具面临停产 (translated to #PopularIKEAToyToCeaseDevelopment).
One user quipped that they "couldn't live without it", while others posted pictures of the plush toy, saying they wanted to commemorate it before it goes "extinct".
Screenshot via Weibo
Some users also celebrated the fact that they managed to purchase the plushie before it goes out of stock.
Image via Weibo
Image via Weibo
On Reddit, a sub-reddit thread was even created, titled r/savetheblahaj.
A petition was created on Change.org, to call for IKEA to continue selling the plush toy. It has nearly 5,000 signatures at the point of writing.
Regional issue?
According to Twitter replies from IKEA, it appears that the intention to pull Blåhaj the shark from shelves could be regional.
A tweet from IKEA USA on Sep. 27 confirmed that the branch has no plans to stop manufacturing the toy.
Hi Melody! Thanks for reaching out. We appreciate your interest in our BLÅHAJ shark soft toy! IKEA USA doesn't have current plans to discontinue this product (Article no. 903.735.90). You can check this out on our website here: https://t.co/gNiDsGoeOI. We hope this helps!
— IKEA USA Help (@IKEAUSAHelp) September 26, 2021
In Asia, while Blåhaj the shark is currently out of stock in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is still available in countries including Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.
It is not listed on IKEA China's website.
Via Ikea Singapore
For now, it is not clear if the discontinuation affects most countries in Asia.
Gained popularity in 2019
For the uninitiated, Blåhaj (pronounced Blaha), first came into the spotlight in 2019.
Meaning "Blue shark" in Swedish, the one-metre big toy shark plushie became wildly popular after photos of Blåhaj doing human things circulated on social media.
หวานกว่ากูอี๊กกก pic.twitter.com/QiOSAhjWYq
— THMS- (@thamenat) December 2, 2019
毎日毎日暑すぎ!
— IKEAのサメ用アカ@ワタザメ (@IKEAsame) August 2, 2019
そんな日はスイカを食べよう
みんなで食べれば涼しくなるよ pic.twitter.com/9GYz8HAIl6
In response to Mothership's queries, IKEA Singapore confirmed on Oct. 7 that Blåhaj is "still in range" and will not be discontinued in Singapore.
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Top image via @IKEAsame Twitter
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