The chief executive of Build-A-Bear Workshop apologized on Friday, a day after a one-day sales event prompted anger, massive crowds and shortages at stores across the world.

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In an interview on NBC’s Today programme, Sharon Price John called the problems caused by the sale “heartbreaking” and said the retailer would extend a sale through the summer.



“I am sorry that we were not able to provide the service that we wanted,” Price John said. “We are doing our very best and we are staying very focused on making sure that we do the best we can to make it right for people.”



Build-A-Bear’s promotion offered customers the chance to buy any bear for the price of their child’s age. The international sales event, which covered the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, caused chaos as customers fought to get their hands on cut-price bears and supplies ran out.



“It was beyond anything we could have ever imagined,” Price John told NBC. “There was really no way for us to have estimated those crowds. We were fully stocked, fully staffed.”



The company will offer US, UK and Canadian customers a $15 voucher through 31 August and will still honor its pay-your-age promotion in stores for children during the child’s birthday month, she said.



Police were called in the UK after stores were closed, unable to keep up with demand and facing angry customers, some of whom had waited up to nine hours.



The Build-a-Bear stores across the US also had to shut up shop early. People started lining up at 6am for the sale at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, according to the Star Tribune. The company tweeted that the promotion was being suspended just hours later because of safety concerns.