Selena Quintanilla fans caused H-E-B’s website to crash over $2 tote bags
San Antonio, Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B’s website temporarily crashed after a high volume of consumers rushed the platform to buy a limited-edition reusable bag honoring Selena Quintanilla - the singer-model, celebrated as the “Queen of Tejano,” who was fatally shot by her former manager in 1995 when she was only 23.
The grocer, which topped Indeed.com’s list of best retail employers just last year, announced the special-edition bag in partner with the philanthropic Selena Foundation on March 2. A limited quantity was available beginning that same day in select stores at 9 a.m. and online at heb.com at noon. But by 2:23 p.m., the retailer announced that the bag had already sold out.
“The passion from Selena fans has been incredible and has demonstrated a strong following from around the nation. It is great to be a part of the love that @SelenaLaLeyenda continues to inspire across all generations. We are officially sold out in stores and online,” H-E-B wrote on Facebook.
https://twitter.com/HEB/status/969267815915184128https://twitter.com/HEB/status/969699788890558469
Now the bags, which went on sale for $2, are being listed on eBay for up to $135 - and people aren’t happy.
“I seriously have a hard time with this cause the website was down for so long! Didn’t you think we would jump on this like a fat kid on cake? Not mad at you HEB, just very disappointed,” @TexasRegina wrote on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/TexasRegina/status/969763618932903936
“Lol no apology for your site being down for over two hours? Or an explanation as to why people who tried to check out and put their payment info in were give a ‘sorry we’re sold out’ after hours of trying to purchase what was in their cart? Oh, ok H-E-B,” @chelsiannlevine said with a frog emoji and cup of tea, a nod to the popular “but that’s none of my business,” Kermit the Frog meme.
https://twitter.com/chelsiannlevine/status/969754642497327105
Some even screenshotted their virtual shopping carts that never made it to checkout.
https://twitter.com/Meepmayra/status/969743299794952192
No word on whether or not the company will drop a second batch of bags.
The totebag frenzy is just another example of the power of the late singer more than two decades after her death. Jennifer Lopez played the title role in the 1997 biopic, which also starred Edward James Olmos as the Texas-born singer’s father.
“This amazing, beautiful spirit, full of joy and music and so much feeling, just was cut off in the middle of being,” Lopez told Billboard in a 2017 interview.
The Daily Meal has reached out to H-E-B for comment.
For more items that have caused an absolute ruckus, check out New Coke, Colgate Lasagna, and 15 other food products that failed miserably.
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