The blue Pretty Parlor was a shelfwarmer, so that's probably why stores didn't want the purple one. It's a shame, because the blue Pretty Parlor was great--lots of accessories, came with a pony and pet, VERY reasonably priced ($20 or $25 iirc). But the Pretty Parlor just sat there for MONTHS while the individual ponies sold. There's really nothing Basic Fun could have done differently IMO, people just didn't want it.
Not sure why the retailers didn't like the flutter ponies . . . Maybe they did a quick google search and discovered the issue with their wings breaking if you look at them funny, lol. I love the flutter ponies, I had three as a kid, but they have a bad design in terms of durability. One topple off a shelf and the wings have had it.