Bunnings shoppers roast 'creepy' Christmas decoration: 'Looks possessed'

Liv Williams
Updated ·2-min read

Shoppers could be forgiven for thinking they were buying Halloween decorations rather than Yuletide fare at Bunnings this year, with the hardware store selling a Christmas meerkat garden statue that has people spooked.

One Christmas merrymaker who was left mortified by the light-up figurine posted a photo of her purchase to the Bunnings Mums Australia Facebook group and wrote, "thought it would be cute... Damn Bunnings did me dirty".

The pic of the onesie-wearing so-called festive Meerkat with devilish glowing red eyes lurking in a garden bed had other mums in stitches. "Oh gosh they did do you dirty," one woman laughed, while another commented, "My kids were saying the other day how creepy this was."

Bunnings meerkat statue
Bunnings shoppers are creeped out by the store's Christmas meerkat statues. Photo: Facebook

A third group member revealed she almost bought one of the meerkat statues herself but thought better of it. "My daughter so badly wanted one 'til I pointed out to her I had a feeling it would look possessed. So glad we passed," she wrote.

The $49 Christmas Meerkat is sold in two variations at Bunnings, one in a reindeer onesie with solar powered LED lighting in the eyes and nose, and the second an "Aussie Meerkat" with similar light-up features, dressed in board shorts and thongs while holding a sausage with a pair of tongs.

SHOP:

The Bunnings site suggests the festive Meerkats are perfect for decorating your home or garden this Christmas, however parents aren't convinced they even resemble the animal they're replicating. "Looks more like a gremlin than a meerkat," one amused shopper suggested.

The 60cm meerkat decoration is not up on display in Bunnings stores and after seeing the statue lit up at night, shoppers have been left unsurprised, "I looked at these and wondered why they didn’t have any on display, now I know why” one commenter cracked up.

Earlier in the year, Bunnings released a witch meerkat and a grim reaper with the same glowing-eyes LED feature for Halloween, which may have been more appropriate timing.

For shoppers looking to buy a less creepy decoration, Woolworths has released a range of its popular meerkat garden ornaments in new Christmas designs. The resin statues retail for $10 and come in four festive characters: Santa, elf, tree and soldier. You'll have to be quick though, they sell out.

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