As soon as I arrived in Waikiki, I raced to the ABC Store beside my hotel to find one item: the Hawaii-exclusive tan Hello Kitty plush keychain.
The Sanrio merchandise display had a large number of teenage girls swarming around it, looking through rows of and rows of varied items, from the pineapple-patterned plushies to hula-dressed characters. While some girls piled up their shopping baskets to the top, filling it with an endless list of items, others were recording videos for their blogs or FaceTiming their friends for opinions.
At first glance, this scene appeared to be nothing more than tourists shopping for souvenirs. But watching people search for specific designs made me wonder: Why does a plush become so desirable simply because it is difficult to find? This reflects a much larger phenomenon in consumer psychology.
The popularity of Hawaii-exclusive Hello Kitty merchandise demonstrates how modern marketing strategies utilize scarcity marketing, emotional branding and social media influence to intensify consumer desire.
The Appeal of Exclusivity
Hello Kitty, created by a Japanese company Sanrio in 1974, has become a global pop culture icon. In Hawaii, merchandise featuring tropical designs give the familiar character a regional twist. A plush decorated with a pineapple or dressed in a hula outfit becomes more than a collectible.
Demand for unique products could be seen in the 2025 collaboration of Hello Kitty with ALOHA Collection in Ala Moana Center. According to local reporting, it is known that there were 300 eager customers lined up, some even waiting from 10:30 p.m. the day before the event.
Such demand for limited edition goods can be explained by the concept of scarcity, which implies that limited products become perceived by consumers as hard-to-get and valuable. To manipulate consumers, companies use scarcity marketing, which implies limiting the availability of goods to increase demand. A 2022 meta-analysis examining 131 studies on scarcity marketing found that scarcity cues can influence consumers’ purchase intentions, although their effects vary by context.
However, scarcity alone does not explain why people want these particular plushies. Their designs, the popularity of Hello Kitty and the memories associated with visiting Hawaii can all contribute to their appeal.
From shopping displays to social media trends
Social media can intensify that desire. Videos of shopping hauls, collections and sold-out merchandise expose viewers to products they might not otherwise encounter. When an item repeatedly appears online, it can begin to feel like something worth pursuing.
Creators continue to display large collections and shopping sold-out merchandise online, influencing a large number of viewers through a sense of urgency and a fear of missing out, commonly known as FOMO. Viewers are exposed to constant social validation surrounding the trend.
Similar patterns have appeared around Trader Joe’s mini tote bags and limited-edition Stanley tumblers. Across different industries, products can attract attention because of their perceived rarity and the visibility of people trying to obtain them.
Across industries, businesses still use tactics of scarcity and invisibility in the online world to increase the demand for their regular products. However, all purchases are not necessarily made under the influence of online social pressure. Some shoppers genuinely enjoy collecting, while others may have wanted the product long before seeing it online. Social media can amplify existing interests as much as it creates new ones.
More than a Souvenir
Hello Kitty also has a distinct cultural presence in Hawaii. In a 2024 interview with the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, anthropologist Christine Yano discussed how deeply the character has become woven into everyday life on the islands. In her book, Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, Yano describes Hello Kitty as part of consumers’ “visual vocabulary,” emphasizing how its recognizable image carries different cultural meanings. This helps explain why Hawaii-exclusive merchandise can appeal to consumers beyond its rarity: the familiar character already holds meaning for fans, while the location-specific designs create an additional connection to Hawaii.
That context complicates the idea that the plushies are popular simply because they are exclusive. For some visitors, a Hawaii-inspired design may represent a memorable trip. For collectors, it may be another addition to a favorite character. For others, the appeal may be as simple as liking the design.
A souvenir may hold a personal significance regarding its place of purchase and what that signifies. The tan Hello Kitty plush, for instance, not only serves as a reminder of a vacation, but it may be hard to come by at other places. It is the value of the item and its associated story that make it appealing.
When does Exclusivity become Pressure?
Limited-edition merchandise can make collecting exciting, but scarcity marketing also raises questions about consumer choice. When products are represented as rare or available for a limited time, shoppers may feel pressured to purchase them before considering what they truly want.
Looking back at the crowded Sanrio displays in Waikiki, I can understand the appeal. The plushies are recognizable, playful and connected to a place people travel to experience. Their exclusivity adds another reason to seek them out, but it does not tell the whole story.
The Hawaii-exclusive Hello Kitty trend shows that consumer desire is rarely about one thing. Scarcity can make a product feel special, but personal memories, cultural connections and genuine affection can give it meaning beyond its price tag. The question is not why people want what is hard to find, but how much that desire comes from the product itself and how much comes from the world surrounding it.
