JediDefender.com Forums

Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => Revenge of the Sith => Topic started by: Jim on September 10, 2005, 11:20 AM

Title: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Jim on September 10, 2005, 11:20 AM
Two of my local WM have not carried the 4" line for around 2 months now.  I ended up talking to the Store MGR and he told me that they are no longer under contract for that line.  I thought it to be strange, so I asked the other Store MGR and she said the same thing.  They have both done resets and there are no pegs to be found.  They both said that they would still continue to carry the Playskool line and that crappy oversized Galactic line as well as lightsabers.  If anyone else has seen no figs in there stores for some time, can you get some feedback to me?  This makes no sense, but at the same time my two stores do not carry this line anymore. 
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: SpudTrooper on September 10, 2005, 12:06 PM
which ones are the 4" line?

 ;D oh you mean 3.75" oops
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Darth_Anton on September 10, 2005, 12:11 PM
I've heard that from every store, every year, since 1995. The manager has no idea what he's talking about. He's proably just a frustrated Wal-mart employee. The only time Walmart made an adjustment to their buying habbits was durring the Saga line when they decided not to carry 12" and vehicels.

Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: CHEWIE on September 10, 2005, 01:06 PM
It's a misinformed manager/employee, or someone who has decided to not carry Star Wars at their store anymore.  There is a Walmart about 45 minutes from here that only carries them in the movie years.  Idiots.   ::)

 :P
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: DoctorPadawan on September 10, 2005, 01:28 PM
I concur with what everyone else has said.  Since the beginning of the POTF2 line, every year there has been some report that Target or Wal-Mart is dropping the Star Wars action figure line, and it never ends up happening (thankfully). 

There have been points in the line where certain sublines were not carried by certain retailers, such as Anton's mention of Wal-Mart not carrying the 2003 12 inch dolls, any Unleashed between the Padme/Anakin/Vader and Boba/Han/Yoda waves, anything from the Clone Wars line that wasn't a basic figure or a lightsaber, however.  It should be noted that, despite these "discontinuations of stocking", Wal-Mart brought each and every one of those lines back to the shelves after a few months had passed. 

If Wal-Mart stops carrying the 3.75 inch action figure line for Star Wars, I would expect the 3.75 inch SW figure line to die completely within six months.  Like it or not (and I hate hate hate it), Wal-Mart dictates the majority of what gets made by most toy lines these days, and if they put the kibosh on something for themselves, it is curtains for the rest of the retail availability too.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: SilverZ on September 10, 2005, 02:21 PM
I've seen a couple Walmarts around here do the same thing, where all of a sudden they're not stocking anything at all for suspicious amounts of time. Then, there are other stores that have been receiving and selling through and then restocking like the toys are the hottest line ever. It makes no sense at all why some stores would just suddenly stop stocking.

DocP summed it up perfectly though - they'll come around, just as they always have. I'd be shocked that they'd stop carrying the line in a movie year, with the DVD looming (and themselves carrying exclusive tie-in toys), and the movie actually being popular, for once, with kids and adults.

Next year I could see Walmart stop carrying the line, and possible killing it off as a result, but I think that this year the only way to ruin the line is by letting Hasbro do it themselves.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Jim on September 10, 2005, 03:31 PM
The reason for concern is that both of these stores have always been heavy on figs since 95 and this is the first time I have seen none whatsoever.  Plus to go 2 months without a single fig seems strange.  Also that fact that there is no space alloted for any SW figs except the ones I previously mentioned.  I tend to believe the one Store MGR since he has been a friend of the family for around 15 years and has been a MGR in at least 5 stores throughout NE. Plus the fact that he knows how long and how much I love the line.  He did mention that other WM would carry but that the two stores I mentioned just chose not to carry this line due to unable to sell through enough product.  So it looks like this may determined store by store.  I sure hope not since I live in the middle of nowhere as it is and cant afford to be driving 45min to an hour plus for figs.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Ben on September 10, 2005, 04:41 PM
I have to wonder if there's a shred of truth to this after all. Both my area WMs have done their reset, yet they have had no new 4" product since July.

Maybe they're just laying off on ordering until the DVD release, and of course, Christmas, when they'll be back in the game full throttle.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Dressel Rebel on September 10, 2005, 04:43 PM
I doubt it, my WalMarts have never been as good as they are right now.  I always come out with figures.  It's TRU, KB, and Target that suck.

I'd be very surprised.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Darth Slothus on September 10, 2005, 04:59 PM
I wonder if there IS some truth to the contract statement

Out of my 4 local WalMarts-only one is still stocking-the others not for a month and a half. I wonder if there was a deadline in a contract for initial ROTS basic stock like until Aug 1 or something. Then, like was mentioned, maybe there is (likely-since my WM's have sold cases and cases of figs) another "fall contract" for additional figs from betwenn certain dates.

Target seems to have a different policy/contract- the 2 I have locally have yet to get 54-56 waves in and they JUST stocked 51-53. They seem to be getting the cases at a seemingly :-\ smarter/slower rate so they can keep selling figs on shelves and there is no lull until the newer figs are released. I really wonder if it's helped them at all- how much money have they now lost since everyone in my area went to WM's to get the newer figs- now when Target does finally get them in they'll just pegwarm like the 54-56's that are left at my local WM's are now. ::) 
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: TheBlackDog65 on September 10, 2005, 05:12 PM
Ok, Wally is all about profit, and these figures bring in a nice profit. What I was told is that my one store is out because they are not shipping from the warehouse, but expect shipments to begin in abotu 2 weeks. Well, that works with me since it is around the time I would expect to see the final 12. The mgr said it is not because they do not want product, but trying to get product in. He said the warehouse may be clearing out all old stock to make room for the holiday stock that is allocated to each store (not sure if this was true, and he was an asst mgr).
The other Wally asst mgr told me that they are getting their allocation in of SW and are putting the stuff out as they receive it. He did say they have been clearing out overstock lately and no new 3 3/4 inch figures have come in, but he checked his computer and said in 2 to 3 weeks he should see plenty of SW stuff in.
Not worried.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Darth Slothus on September 10, 2005, 05:19 PM
Makes sense we'll see them right around the end of Sep/beg. of Oct like I thought ::)
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: DoctorPadawan on September 10, 2005, 05:26 PM
The thing that continually baffles me is how Wal-Mart doesn't follow any set practice from one store to another.  In Targets across the country, you can pretty much guess what the SW section of the aisle (or the action figure aisle as a whole) is going to look like, and there are seldom any surprises to be found.  In Wal-Mart, one store might have 16 pegs for basic figures, while another store less than an hour away has four pegs for basic figures and 18 pegs of Titanium ships (this was the case in my area up until about 2 weeks ago).

I remember reading once that Wal-Mart stores are unable to order specific items for their own store, such as needing more Evolutions Clones as opposed to more Anakins, and they rely on the central distro center to send the stuff to them on a rather random basis.  To this day, none of the WMs within a 30 mile radius of me have ever gotten the Battle Arena 2-packs from this spring, but a WM that is slightly further away than that got at least 100 of them, and they are sitting in the clearance aisle.  Weird.

The point I was (and am) trying to make, I suppose, is that the only way for Wal-Mart to stop carrying the SW action figure line as a whole would be for the Suits/Agents of Satan in Bentonville to tell Hasbro that WM didn't want to be in the SW business anymore, and that would be that.  Target and TRU might hold onto the line for a while, but WMs "cancelling" the line for their stores overall would be the death knell for the Hasbro action figures within six months.

Could individual stores not order anymore?  I don't know if they could or couldn't, but it could also be Wal-Mart's HAL (Hal-Mart?) seeing pegs full of Neimoidians, Super Battle Droids, Palpatines, Clone Pilots, and Wookiee Warriors and saying there's no point in shipping more stuff to the stores when the stuff there isn't selling.

Oh, and a local Wal-Mart nearby just reset again for the second time in about three weeks, which blows my mind.  We're not talking slight rearrangement either: I'm talking completely different layout and aisle from last month.  Very weird.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Darth Broem on September 10, 2005, 08:34 PM
You know what though.  Some of these Wal-Marts are so idiotic with how they order toys.  In a movie year they order about 25 cases too many of the same exact wave in a small region that can not support the numbers long term.  So, they end up with a surplus of pegwarmers that will never move off of their pegs.  It's not really do to the fact that the figures did not sell it's just that they do not know how to order worth a crap.  Then it's the "Ohhhh, that Star Wars stuff just does not sell.  Get rid of it." 

Oh well they are the ones missing out on all the clonetrooper sales right now.  I just bought a Bacara, AT-RT Driver, Green Clone Commander, and 2 SA Clonetroopers at Target. 
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: DoctorPadawan on September 10, 2005, 09:43 PM
In a movie year they order about 25 cases too many of the same exact wave in a small region that can not support the numbers long term. So, they end up with a surplus of pegwarmers that will never move off of their pegs. It's not really do to the fact that the figures did not sell it's just that they do not know how to order worth a crap. Then it's the "Ohhhh, that Star Wars stuff just does not sell. Get rid of it."

Well, and Jebus forgive me for defending Wal-Mart here, the problem in the case you're referring to DB comes not totally from WM, but also from Hasbro's case assortments.  From this point on, I'm going to be referring to a single WM store instead of the entire chain, just for the sake of clarity.

Hypothetically, WM decides that it is going to devote 24 pegs, each of which holds about 6 figures, to Star Wars figures.  That is 144 figures, or going by Hasbro's ratios, 12 cases (12 figures per case).  The problem is that Hasbro does not enable a salesperson for the major chains to say, "I want to order more of Case Assortment 97800.B"; their only option is to say, "I want to order more of Case Assortment 97800."  They could see pegs devoid of Collection 1 figures except for Neimoidians and Clone Pilots, but reordered cases contain more Neimoidians and Clone Pilots.  So, while the figures that people want (Clones, Vader, etc) from those cases disappear, more and more Neimoidians and Clone Pilots are shipped, and they add to the glut already on the pegs.

When inventory is done, the employees at individual stores couldn't care less WHO is on the pegs as long as SOMEONE is on the pegs.  All they see are "We have 120 units of UPC 97800" and not "We have 80 Neimoidians, 40 Clone Pilots, and nothing of anyone else."  And the problem that comes up there is that when it comes time to reorder, they see full pegs of figures and don't order more.  The pegs are full with the same two figures, but it's all Star Wars to them.

The surplus is because Hasbro still cannot figure out how to do market research outside of their mythical focus groups they spout off about every time someone questions them about their silly ratios.  Retail is choking on Clone Pilots and Neimoidians?  SHIP MORE.  Grievous' Bodyguard and Neimoidians dying at retail?  REPAINT THEM AND SHIP MORE.  Clones nonexistent?  "A solid case of Clones would be retail suicide!"  AND MORE NEIMOIDIANS ISN'T?   >:(

So, you've got Hasbro shipping the figures that are clogging the Wal-Mart pegs over and over due to Pawtucket existing on an alternate plane of reality, and WM who are ordering things based on a uniform UPC that they have no say in which case assortment they can get, and both of them are contributing to a glut of the same six figures that are preventing more figures that would sell from being ordered.

The Wal-Mart that is closest to my current place of residence has 20 pegs devoted to SW figures right now.  As of earlier today, the only figures they have on these 20 pegs, filled completely full with no room for new stock, are the following:

-Wookiee Warrior (43)
-Neimoidian Warrior (42)
-Clone Pilot (34; Gray)
-Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (14)
-Palpatine (35)
-Grievous' Bodyguard
-Bail Organa

NOTHING ELSE.  And we're talking a mountain of the first three figures in particular that I don't think clearance could even make a dent in at this point.  But from WM's perspective, the pegs are full and that's all that matters to them.  As the months go by though and those same figures are there, it won't be entering their minds that these figures aren't selling, it's that "STAR WARS AIN'T SELLIN'."  This gets reported back to Bentonville, and I'm sure a large portion of other WMs across the country make the same report, and WM starts to wonder if they need to be in the SW business anymore.

Is there a simple solution?  No, there's not.  Could things be done to lessen the pegwarmer problem?  Well, Hasbro could always keep up on what is actually selling vs. what isn't at retailers, but that's just crazy talk, isn't it?  After all, it's all retail's fault that we can't find what we're looking for. 

People have pretty much been unanimous on the pegwarmer problem being better this time around than with Episodes I and II, and for the most part I agree.  The problem that I'm seeing now is that while the other two collections had their major pegwarmers, there was still a variety of characters to choose from and main characters and army builders were available.  This time around, it's the same 8-10 characters of dubious importance, and main characters are nonexistent.  So, while the pegwarmer problem isn't as bad as the first two, it's worse in a totally different way.

Again, I hate to say it, but the day that Wal-Mart puts its foot down and says, "Enough is enough" is the day that Hasbro literally does what they've been doing figuratively as of late and kills the line completely.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Diddly on September 10, 2005, 09:58 PM
Wal-Mart is always like this. Hell, back in 2003, I was told by a manager that Wal-Mart was discontinuing all toy lines because they had to make room for those stupid Hulk Hands. ::)
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Nathan on September 11, 2005, 12:11 AM
If Wal-Mart stops carrying the 3.75 inch action figure line for Star Wars, I would expect the 3.75 inch SW figure line to die completely within six months. Like it or not (and I hate hate hate it), Wal-Mart dictates the majority of what gets made by most toy lines these days, and if they put the kibosh on something for themselves, it is curtains for the rest of the retail availability too.

??? I've heard that many a time, but can you explain to me how exactly this would work?

How big a percentage of SW toy sales can be ascribed to Wal-Mart anyway? I have difficulty imagining that removing their sales would financially cripple the SW toy line directly, so is it more a matter of Herd Mentality with other retailers following WM's lead in dropping it?

Please explain..... (http://cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/konfus/a015.gif)
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Darth Slothus on September 11, 2005, 12:28 AM
First of all, There is WAYYYY more Wal MArts total stateside and US then the second biggest retailer Target= if they go out the line is dead- I don't think this is going to happen

Like to point out about Michael's comments here..He's dead on- It's totally Hasbro's lack of quality marketing research or lack thereof why Wm or any other retailer(sorry, I have those same figures pegwarming at good old target too) has the problems it has- seriously I wonder sometimes if they don't really do any research and "guess" what units will be popular or not.

C'mon Michael- where's Mon Mothma on your list? LOL

I also think it's part of the business contract to keep areas open in the isles for certain time frames for particular manufacturers(Hasbro). I could totally see one contract ending one month and another beginning a couple months later with new expected product coming in
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Nathan on September 11, 2005, 12:36 AM
First of all, There is WAYYYY more Wal MArts total stateside and US then the second biggest retailer Target= if they go out the line is dead- I don't think this is going to happen

But what about all the other retailers in combination? Target + Toys R Us + KB + K-mart + even Kohls, Walgreens, etc. It seems like these others combined would more than outweigh WM's loss but I don't know any of the statistics offhand. (http://cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/konfus/a015.gif)

Quote
Like to point out about Michael's comments here..He's dead on- It's totally Hasbro's lack of quality marketing research or lack thereof why Wm or any other retailer(sorry, I have those same figures pegwarming at good old target too) has the problems it has- seriously I wonder sometimes if they don't really do any research and "guess" what units will be popular or not.

Sure, I'm not arguing with that.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: CHEWIE on September 11, 2005, 09:27 AM
I wouldn't be surprised it Walmart's Star Wars toy sales were more than all the other retailers combined... maybe TRU could come somewhat close but I doubt it.

If Wally World stopped carrrying the line, it would definitely be in major trouble, but I could see TRU picking up the line exclusively someday.

 :P
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: DoctorPadawan on September 11, 2005, 11:16 AM

??? I've heard that many a time, but can you explain to me how exactly this would work?

How big a percentage of SW toy sales can be ascribed to Wal-Mart anyway? I have difficulty imagining that removing their sales would financially cripple the SW toy line directly, so is it more a matter of Herd Mentality with other retailers following WM's lead in dropping it?

Please explain..... (http://cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/konfus/a015.gif)

Okay, the first thing that I'll point out is that Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in North America (for better or worse) in every department.  Shoes, clothing, DVDs, tackle boxes, toys, etc.  You name it, WM is number one in the retail world.  Over the last few years, WM has pulled way ahead of TRU in terms of toy retailers, and WM was one of the key reasons why TRU and KB started to have so much financial trouble two years or so ago.  WM was pricing their stuff so low that people would see the same product selling for a buck or so more at TRU or KB and question why they should even shop at TRU or KB.  WM gets this person/family's business, and TRU and KB have more pegwarmers. 

A lot is made of Wal-Mart's control of what gets made and what doesn't in this day and age, and for the most part, it's completely true, backed up by factual and empirical observations by people far more knowledgeable about economic theory than I.  What I'll try to do is boil this down to what I understand, although I would seriously suggest that anyone who wants to know more do a little reading on the web (I know that walmartwatch.com has some good stuff) to get the full story.

Wal-Mart has singlehandedly caused several companies to file for bankruptcy due to their "roll back" mentality.  The most famous example is (I think) the Vlasic pickle company.  A few years ago, WM made a contract with Vlasic for these huge pickle jars that would be sold on their aisle-obstructing islands for a really low price (for the sake of comparison, let's say 3 dollars).  Vlasic ramped up production and WM brought in a lot of sales.  The problem with this was that Vlasic was putting so much time and money into these big jars that their smaller jars were not performing all that well.  WM decided that they needed more of the big jars at an even lower price, and when Vlasic told them they couldn't, WM threatened them with not carrying Vlasic products AT ALL anymore.  Vlasic, realizing what a stranglehold WM had on retail, reluctantly agreed, and had to end up raising the prices on their regular non-WM pickles at other retailers. 

The problem with that was that people realized they could get the Uber-Pickles at WM for a buck less than a small jar, and Vlasic didn't make any money on anything except the WM Uber-Pickle Jar, which they were already losing money on to begin with due to WM's demand for more at a lower cost.  It got to the point where Vlasic could not keep up the cost and they ended up losing a lot of money, mostly due to the fact that WM quit carrying the Uber-Pickles when Vlasic could not keep up production to the WM levels.

There is a documentary/expose/whatever that airs on CNBC occasionally that is very good to see the "behind the scenes" side of WM called "The Age of Wal-Mart."  Of particular interest to toy collectors is the interview portion with the company that makes those atrocious "Bratz" dolls.  The guy who runs the company says that they decide what to make based on what WM is selling.  If the Slutty Sally Bratz doll is flying off the shelves at WM, they make more Slutty Sally dolls; likewise, if the Herpes Harriet doll is not selling very well, Herpes Harriet doll gets a great big shot of penicillin.  All silliness aside, the point is that directly or indirectly, WM is dictating how the Bratz doll makers decide what to make and what not to make based on a narrow view of success.

Now, as for how this affects Star Wars stuff, I'm going to expand a bit on my earlier anecdotal statements and do a bit of (pessimistic) prognostication.  For the gist of what I was talking about just reread the portion on the 120 Clones and Neimoidians being the same thing to WM as 120 different figures that aren't selling and how they are no different to the WM buyers and HAL system.

We all know the fiasco surrounding the Early Bird exclusive on April 2nd.  Hasbro (who actually have an office a few miles away from WM HQ in Bentonville) tells WM that this exclusive will fly off the shelves and will get them a lot of business and publicity.  This does not happen, and WMs either send the EB kits to other stores or back to Hasbro, while Target, TRU, and K-Mart's exclusives get a lot of attention.  WM is most likely not happy with this lack of sales on the EB kit and tells Hasbro so. 

Hasbro, already having a strained non-film-year relationship with WM on the SW line (see the earlier comments about them not wanting to carry the CW line AT ALL and Hasbro placated them with the Wave 1 with Bonus Clone two packs that fall), has yet another strike in their column with WM where it concerns SW.  Combined with the "slow sales" of ROTS figures (those Clone Pilots and Neimoidians), WM cuts back on their SW section dramatically and begins to stock sparingly, especially in rural areas that don't have the foot traffic of larger areas like in Southern CA.  All WM sees are SW figures continuing to sit and they begin to wonder why they are even devoting that much space to SW when there's money to be made on Teen Titans (this is sarcasm, as we all know how much Teen Titans sucks and how they don't sell ****).

So, November 1st comes, and Hasbro's claims of the DVD bringing in potential sales of toys falls flat.  This isn't due to WM, as in their minds, the pegs are full of figures (Clone Pilots and Neimoidians) and they can't understand why Hasbro thought the DVD would bring increased sales.  Meanwhile, Hasbro is getting really nervous because at this point, WM is really upset with the lack of SW sales.  WM tells Hasbro that due to the lack of a media tie-in (movies or TV shows), SW will have its section cut dramatically.  ROTS stuff is clearanced out at rock-bottom prices, and both WM and Hasbro end up losing a lot of money on those "full pegs" of CPs and Neimoidians which, wrong as it may be, give the illusion that SW isn't selling well.

WM cutting back on the SW section has very little short-term effects, as people end up going to Target and TRU for the 2006 Saga Collection, as both those retailers seem to be supporting the line.  WM, however, due to their standoffish attitude toward the 2006 line, doesn't end up getting their first case of TSC until about a month after Target, and after the initial rush, the figures (specifically the repacks) begin to sit and collect dust.  The glut that ended 2005 begins to repeat itself and it becomes an ocean of Baradas.  WM tells Hasbro that this is it.  They have been stuck with too many products that won't sell and SW will no longer have a permanent place in the action figure aisle after the spring reset.

Hasbro panics and asks Target and TRU to increase orders.  Both of these retailers, who don't have anywhere near the retail ordering clout of WM, order a little more, but can't match the number of orders needed to fill the WM niche.  Hasbro has to cut back on production due to the money lost for a lack of WM orders, and TSC 2006 begins to ship more and more sporadically to Target and TRU.  Hasbro can't keep up with demand at these two retailers and due to the prolonged financial loss incurred by WM's refusal to carry the line and the cost of production going up due to the oil price increases, Target and TRU's inability to match earlier orders, and a waning in casual fan interest, they decide that the 2006 TSC collection will be the final year for SW toys until a media tie-in occurs.

Is this highly fatalistic?  Sure it is, and I hope that it doesn't happen.  The above couple of paragraphs are just a way of trying to explain how much control WM has, directly or indirectly, on what companies make, market, or support. 



Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Dressel Rebel on September 11, 2005, 12:26 PM
The thing that continually baffles me is how Wal-Mart doesn't follow any set practice from one store to another.  In Targets across the country, you can pretty much guess what the SW section of the aisle (or the action figure aisle as a whole) is going to look like, and there are seldom any surprises to be found.  In Wal-Mart, one store might have 16 pegs for basic figures, while another store less than an hour away has four pegs for basic figures and 18 pegs of Titanium ships (this was the case in my area up until about 2 weeks ago).


Or 76 pegs of basic star wars figures like my WalMart.  Literally 76 pegs. 
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Jim on September 11, 2005, 06:39 PM
Any of you folks with overflowing pegs drop me a line.  I am in need of the Clone repaints.  I would much rather drop extra money on shipping costs over $3.30 gallon gas :P
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Darth Slothus on September 11, 2005, 09:47 PM
contact my brother, Zachmoe about repaints-have plenty ;)
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Dressel Rebel on September 12, 2005, 12:37 AM
Any of you folks with overflowing pegs drop me a line.  I am in need of the Clone repaints.  I would much rather drop extra money on shipping costs over $3.30 gallon gas :P

You're got PM
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Jesse James on September 12, 2005, 12:59 AM
I wish I was seeing repaints like that.  I've seen one black pilot and nabbed him, but that's it.  The others are non-existant here and the pegs are bare to the bone in most WM stores while Targets are just Neimodians and Palpatines.

TRU's hit or miss on anything.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Brian on September 12, 2005, 09:19 AM
As sad as it is, the comments here are right.  If Wal-Mart quit backing the line, we'd probably be in trouble.  I really do dislike shopping there, and would sooner give my money to Target (or even TRU), but if they have the goods, and at a lower price, its hard to turn down.  Our basic figures haven't changed at our local Wal-Mart(s) for quite some time either.  We've gone through the reset, and that brought about the Anakin Evo sets (which were quickly sold out, and haven't restocked), the Battle Packs (also sold out), the Ultimate Lightsaber kits (which are everywhere), and the 500th Vaders (which are sitting as well).  Otherwise, it is the usual suspects.  Old Deluxe, the same old pegwarmers (Nemo Warriors, Clone Pilot, Palpy), and the "other" stuff (Anakin/Obi Unleashed, Force Battlers, Galactic Heroes, M and M, Jedi Force, Attacktix).  Star Wars actually has a pretty decent "aisle presence" at our Wal-Mart, but there just hasn't been any new basic figures there for months now.  I don't see how they're going to be clear out these pegwarmers.  Funny if you think about it, but if it wasn't for those Wal-Mart DVD packs that will likely be out with the ROTS DVD release, I don't think kiddos would even be able to have an Obi-Wan or Anakin in their collection (at that time).
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Nathan on September 12, 2005, 03:44 PM
Okay, the first thing that I'll point out is that Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in North America (for better or worse) in every department. Shoes, clothing, DVDs, tackle boxes, toys, etc. You name it, WM is number one in the retail world. Over the last few years, WM has pulled way ahead of TRU in terms of toy retailers, and WM was one of the key reasons why TRU and KB started to have so much financial trouble two years or so ago. WM was pricing their stuff so low that people would see the same product selling for a buck or so more at TRU or KB and question why they should even shop at TRU or KB. WM gets this person/family's business, and TRU and KB have more pegwarmers.................................................. [snipped]

Ouch. Thanks for laying that out for me.

I avoid shopping at Wal-Mart unless it's an exclusive toy I really need (soulless evil empire etc. etc.) and it scares me to think how buying SW figures elsewhere may hurt the future of the line. In some twisted way, it might actually be better to buy them at WM. The mind boggles.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Dressel Rebel on September 13, 2005, 08:03 AM
Wal-Mart is always like this. Hell, back in 2003, I was told by a manager that Wal-Mart was discontinuing all toy lines because they had to make room for those stupid Hulk Hands. ::)

Those were quite the hot seller from what I remember.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Famine on September 14, 2005, 01:44 AM
I think what some of it has to do with is incompitent employees assigned to departments they know nothing about. I watched a guy go to drop cases in the toy isle. I grabbed a case of VEHICHLES looking for wookie choppers, and none were to be found. He glanced the isle, couldn't find where they went, loaded up everything, and took them to the back room. I followed him and tried to show him where they went and he gave me a "don't know don't care" attitude.

Sad, but true.

Kevin
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Ryan on September 14, 2005, 02:16 AM
Basic figures at my Wal-Mart just went back down to $4.77. Hopefully it is a sign of good things to come.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Jeff on September 14, 2005, 11:21 AM
Basic figures at my Wal-Mart just went back down to $4.77. Hopefully it is a sign of good things to come.

Wal-Mart just opened a brand new 24hr Super Center about 10minutes from my house.  Not only did they have a great selection of #45-56 (only a few clone repaints though  :(), but they also had the $4.77 price that Ryan mentioned.

I think it's pretty safe that Star Wars will have a strong presence in the toy aisle through the Holiday season.  Then, just like every post-movie year stuff will drop off from Jan-Mar only to pick up again in Spring.  I think the 4" line will be safe through next summer at least, but depending on what Hasbro has planned for next year and how well it sells, anything can happen next fall...
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: CHEWIE on September 14, 2005, 11:27 AM
Ah, $4.77... the wonderful price that makes me feel that for $1.00 cheaper a figure, I suddenly have a lot more money.

 :P
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Brian on September 14, 2005, 11:29 AM
Oh yeah, a return to the $4.77ish pricepoint would definitely be welcome.  Hopefully that will become a "nationwide" price, and continue into the Saga Collection in 2006.  With tightening up the budget, a dollar break on each figure always helps too ;).
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Nathan on September 14, 2005, 12:13 PM
I don't shop at WM if I can help it, but hopefully this means Target and TRU will drop theirs back to $4.99--or more likely, refrain from raising them to $6.99. Even holding at $5.99 would still be a good thing.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Darth_Anton on September 14, 2005, 12:33 PM
I don't shop at WM if I can help it, but hopefully this means Target and TRU will drop theirs back to $4.99--or more likely, refrain from raising them to $6.99. Even holding at $5.99 would still be a good thing.

Target should drop their price, but I can't see TRU doing so. It's not their MO. Sure they did it to compete on 4/2 and the weeks following, but that's an unusual move for them.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Gatillo on September 14, 2005, 02:32 PM
I agree.  It is more likely that TRU will hike up the price.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Reid on September 14, 2005, 04:56 PM
I rarely shop at Wal*Mart so this isn't too bad for me.
Title: Re: Walmart done with 4" Line?
Post by: Tijuanajedi on September 14, 2005, 08:29 PM
Well as long as they ******* have the figures I would rather pay a store that a ******* scalper.