While I can see it was a business decision meant to maximize sales to its core audience of young male collectors, Buffy isn't the same kind of license as Marvel or Batman or Star Wars. By discounting Buffy's core audience by making this Willow statue so far off the actual (already well-loved) character, I really believe they left more new sales on the table than any old ones from non-fans they would have lost. And really, who buys statues from properties they aren't fans of? Or more precisely, who besides kind of creepy pretty-girly "art" collectors collect character statues of licenses they aren't fans of?
Of the actual Buffy fans who preordered this Willow, would you have passed if she WASN'T sexied up, but was in a character-true outfit with a character-true pose?
I can't imagine if you are a Willow fan that you could say yes to this question. If that's the case, then they would have kept those sales, added ones from new (and old) collectors wanting an authentic Willow collectible (possibly expanding their own customer base), and lost just the small percentage of non-fans who just collect pretty-girl statues.
If Sideshow really thought sexing up Willow, of all the characters (not Faith or Buffy for whom such a strategy is much more logical because that was supported in the show), would sell more of her, then I really have to question how well they know this show and its fanbase. Certainly not like they used to when "authenticity" to the property was one of their strategic and well-advertised goals. Notice that word is nowhere in the product description.
I appreciate that they're even trying to still make Buffy merchandise, but this one missed the mark when it really could've been so much more if only they'd strayed from their formula of girly statues--finally, a nice Willow collectible with a pleasing portrait that could've possibly expanded SS's fanbase and paved the way for more hits down the line. Frankly, with the slow sales of Willow, I wouldn't be surprised if Faith were the last release, given their penchant for giving up on a line as soon as it stops being profitable. What kills me is that the reason they don't sell stuff out is usually because of exorbitant price and/or quality issues.