SALES of John Lewis’s Venus flytrap plush toy — based on the store’s Christmas ad — flopped because it terrified kids.
Staff were even moaned at by customers when they tried to give the £18 cuddly plants away.
One angry employee told bosses on the firm’s forum: “Do you realise we walk towards children with this green monster and they are actually scared?”
Some branches are even said to have more than 500 still in stock because of low sales.
The Snapper toys are based on the store chain’s £5million festive advert, which saw a boy named Alfie planting a seed, which grew into a six-foot plant that tried to devour the family’s dog.
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Two previous John Lewis adverts — featuring Buster the Boxer dog and Edgar the Dragon — were accompanied by soft toys, which flew off the shelves.
Bosses were so confident about the latest toy they ordered 15 per cent more than in 2019, when Edgar plushies sold out in just nine days.
Staff said they had tried several schemes to dispose of the toys, including giving them away to children and to customers who spent more than £50.
A staff member said: “A huge mistake was made with the disappointing advert.
“Just when it needed to work so badly, in my opinion, we failed badly.”
Another added: “As soon as I saw the large plush toys on the shop floor priced at £18 each and a limit of two per customer, I thought, ‘Good grief, they will be lucky to sell one’.”
John Lewis said: “The merchandise proved very popular.”