Kelly Clarkson fans’ backlash against New York toy shop Art of Play has led to the temporary disabling of the business’s Yelp profile.
The profile now carries a warning that the shop has “recently received increased public attention”, adding that this often leads people to visit the page to post their views on the news.
The reaction followed drama involving the singer and the store, with supporters posting a series of negative reviews. One reviewer described the shop as “trash” and said its service was “rude”.
Another Kelly Clarkson fan left a one-star review, writing: “Company’s response to the whole thing also trash and disgusting. Completely rubs off the wrong way.”
A further review alleged that customers were treated poorly if they did not meet the shop’s standards of dress. “I don’t care who you are; that is poor customer service,” the reviewer wrote.
Another post urged people not to shop at Art of Play, criticising its service and saying that the lack of an apology made matters worse.
The volume of hostile reviews prompted BuzzFlow.AI to post a video offering to help Art of Play handle them for free.
Not all of the feedback was negative. One five-star reviewer praised the shop’s unusual products and said staff encouraged people to play, adding that their young children had been welcomed on several visits and in different conditions.
