Author Topic: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?  (Read 37863 times)

Offline McMetal

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #45 on: October 4, 2009, 10:43 PM »
Thanks guys, duly noted.
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Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #46 on: October 9, 2009, 02:49 PM »
Please, please don't kill me for this ... but either the Saga Legends line needs to be canceled (just a crazy suggestion if all else fails), or ALL-NEW figure choices need to be put into this way ...  no more Plo Koon, Saessee Tiin, C-3PO, Obi-Wan (Mustafar) and Darth Vader (Mustafar). Figures like Luke in X-Wing gear and the Hoth Imperial Trooper were hard to find - these type of figures should be put into the line.

Figuring out how to best fix up the Saga Legends line will create better sales. Better sales lead to less leftover stock, and less leftover stock leads to more room for new products.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: Distribution
« Reply #47 on: October 15, 2009, 12:29 PM »
Heh, we all knew this was going to happen.

Cripes Hasbro, two years in a row now where product was held back for the just before Christmas quarter. We know you want great sales for the quarter, but you're screwing up the rest of the year and making it hard for everyone to get what they want then. This is creating a deluge of OLD product on shelves, that dramatically inhibits the potential for that very stuff you want to have come out in the 4th quarter being put on the shelves/pegs.

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Offline McMetal

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Re: Distribution
« Reply #48 on: October 15, 2009, 01:30 PM »
Heh, we all knew this was going to happen.

Cripes Hasbro, two years in a row now where product was held back for the just before Christmas quarter. We know you want great sales for the quarter, but you're screwing up the rest of the year and making it hard for everyone to get what they want then. This is creating a deluge of OLD product on shelves, that dramatically inhibits the potential for that very stuff you want to have come out in the 4th quarter being put on the shelves/pegs.



Yep, it's totally asinine...and it's not just figures either. I don't know where they will be able to stock any of the new BattlePacks with scores of the old dregs collecting dust. (How many $&%@! B'Omarr Monastery packs did Hasbro MAKE anyway?)

They will cry "bad economy" but that is old news. Anyone could have seen the writing on the wall 18 months ago.

They have really screwed themselves for this holiday season I think. I KNOW none of the Wally's around here have space for an AT-St or Dewback. Nor will they for quite some time...
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Offline Jayson

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Re: Distribution
« Reply #49 on: October 15, 2009, 01:37 PM »
Yep, it's totally asinine...and it's not just figures either. I don't know where they will be able to stock any of the new BattlePacks with scores of the old dregs collecting dust. (How many $&%@! B'Omarr Monastery packs did Hasbro MAKE anyway?)

They will cry "bad economy" but that is old news. Anyone could have seen the writing on the wall 18 months ago.

They have really screwed themselves for this holiday season I think. I KNOW none of the Wally's around here have space for an AT-St or Dewback. Nor will they for quite some time...

I suspect they made as many B'Omarr BP as all the other sets, it just doesn't command the desire of the other sets.

As for this holiday season, as soon at "black friday" kicks off, anything with a SW logo (especially multipacks and roleplay items) will start fiying off the shelves making way for new product. I don't think panic is warranted yet.
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Offline McMetal

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Re: Distribution
« Reply #50 on: October 15, 2009, 02:52 PM »

As for this holiday season, as soon at "black friday" kicks off, anything with a SW logo (especially multipacks and roleplay items) will start fiying off the shelves making way for new product. I don't think panic is warranted yet.

Well, I'm certainly not panicked, since I don't work in Hasbro's marketing department, but I think concern is warranted. I don't know if I agree about anything with a SW logo flying off the shelves - Yarna comes to mind. If that was true, I don't think Hasbro would have had their reps out in force pulling back stock around the country as they have been doing.

Retail sales have taken a steep hit this year; I don't think we can necessarily predict what will happen based on years past.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: Distribution
« Reply #51 on: October 15, 2009, 08:49 PM »
Granted Black Friday is usually a big boost to sales, but Hasbro shouldn't count on just that. IMO, it's around October that we should be seeing repacks and refresh cases. Throughout the rest of the year we all, kids and collectors alike should be able to purchase the waves of figures each month. The last quarter would be reserved then for only the hottest selling figures from the first three quarters. October would see refreshes of the first quarter, November would see refreshes of the second quarter, and december would see the third quarter stuff.

Yes, that means more planning on Hasbro's part. But seriously, if they want to sell this stuff, they need to make some serious changes about how/when it's being put on shelves.

Now of course this would mean we collectors wouldn't have much to look forward to new-wise during the holidays, but honestly, I think most of us could use the break anyway and besides it would give us money to spend on family and friends instead of ourselves, which we all do yearlong. (Not saying you don't spend on family and friends the rest of the year either, you know what I'm getting at.)

Were it not for Clone Cash, waiting on sales, discount codes for HTS purchases, I know I wouldn't have bought as much this year. Having this stuff hit in 2 months when it should have been spread over 6-8 months is a bit much to ask of we collectors to absorb. Again, hasbro has to consider the economy in this and you bet they should have seen this coming. Planning for the line a year in advance still should have given them time to scale back on how much was produced r whatever other adjustments they needed to make.

STOP BLAMING US HASBRO. We want to buy this stuff, not just all at once!

We've got lives too, other than collecting SW. We need to be able to budget for this stuff, more so than ever with things how they are nowadays.


Whoo, ok, sorry for the rant, but I needed to vent.
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Offline McMetal

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #52 on: October 23, 2009, 11:42 AM »
Got my shipping notice from EE on these today.

I've just opened my ROTJ figs.  This is very reminescent of '07, when we got waves every week it seemed.  On one hand, it's great - new figures are never boring - but on the other, it makes it hard to appreciate any of it. 

Yeah, life is pretty sweet on the Legacy tip right now. Tons of new fig waves, the Interceptor, Dewback & AT-ST coming any day, etc.


Not so much for Clone Wars. I think they forgot this show is still running. 8 weeks til X-Mas, marketing dweebs!
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Offline Paul

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #53 on: October 23, 2009, 12:04 PM »
- new figures are never boring - but on the other, it makes it hard to appreciate any of it. 


That is what annoys me most about the Carpet Bombing effect we get at times wit these waves.  When I get my boxes now, I TRY to hold off and open them later, but the impatience is usually too much to bear and I end up opening them, and them putting them away and I miss the new toy smell and enjoyment of new figs.

I think that is why I dropped the Rise of Cobra Joe stuff...the initial glut of product sucked the fun out of getting new stuff...

I will suffer through it with SW though because while it "seems" CW is getting the shaft, it has been MONTHS since we got OT stuff around here.

Offline Brian

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #54 on: October 23, 2009, 12:11 PM »
Yeah, it seems like it has been more of a TLC drought around here as well.  Now, I've gotten the TPM, ROTJ, and now ANH waves within a little more than a month's time, but that was all via online preorders.  As far as retail goes, it has basically been empty pegs for TLC (or, more likely, filled with CW figures).  Our local stores have been getting shipment after shipment of the CW stuff, and I think I've seen each figure at retail several times except for the "last" wave with the Padme, IG droid, Matchstick, etc.  Plus, like it has been mentioned, it is nice to actually see more OT product this year after a fairly big drought the past couple years.

Offline McMetal

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #55 on: October 23, 2009, 12:45 PM »

I think I've seen each figure at retail several times except for the "last" wave with the Padme, IG droid, Matchstick, etc. 

Yeah, apparently that Wave is an "Online-Exclusive".  ::) Most e-tailers have had them for weeks now, but not a single one has shown up at a brick and mortar ANYWHERE. That's a pretty significant lag, IMHO.

I totally sympathize with the OT neglect you guys have been suffering through. But lately the tide has really turned in your favor. We have now seen 2 fig waves, plus the TIE exclusives, available at retail since the last CW toy was released. (The Crumb Bomber) And that Dewback and AT-ST are due to hit any day. They are catching up big time.

Why can't Hasbro focus on 2 lines simultaneously and just crank out a new release every other week? It's not like they share the same physical space in stores.
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Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #56 on: October 24, 2009, 11:32 PM »

I think I've seen each figure at retail several times except for the "last" wave with the Padme, IG droid, Matchstick, etc. 

Yeah, apparently that Wave is an "Online-Exclusive".  ::) Most e-tailers have had them for weeks now, but not a single one has shown up at a brick and mortar ANYWHERE. That's a pretty significant lag, IMHO.

WHOAH! No way - I don't normally order figures from online - I always buy them at retail. Feeling disappointed ....  >:(
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Offline McMetal

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #57 on: October 25, 2009, 10:00 PM »
WHOAH! No way - I don't normally order figures from online - I always buy them at retail. Feeling disappointed ....  >:(

Oh wow, dude, I just realized after reading this and the other thread you posted in that you may have taken my snarky remark out of context. Sorry!

I didn't LITERALLY mean this was an online-exclusive wave, I just meant that it has been in a de facto sense thus far. (IE: the only places these have shown up at all is online the past month or so)

I'm curious how keeping the product out of brick and mortar retail outlets is going to enhance their seasonal marketing strategy.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #58 on: October 26, 2009, 03:37 AM »
Hmmm, I can't say that the tide's really turned yet...  haha

Exclusives don't count, to me...  They come in when they come in, and you get them if you're lucky.

And I can't speak for others, but judging by the griping I can, and I haven't seen a full set of TPM figures, or ROTJ figures, much less these newest figures that just showed up online (much less brick and mortar) this past week.

So far Legacy's got about a month's worth of shipping, at least, to catch up to CW...  I see CW figures routinely, including the more current waves save for the very latest (Luminara).  Legacy, I'm about 3 waves behind, technically.
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Offline Adam_Pawlus

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Re: Distribution Whining
« Reply #59 on: October 27, 2009, 04:58 PM »

I think I've seen each figure at retail several times except for the "last" wave with the Padme, IG droid, Matchstick, etc. 

Yeah, apparently that Wave is an "Online-Exclusive".  ::) Most e-tailers have had them for weeks now, but not a single one has shown up at a brick and mortar ANYWHERE. That's a pretty significant lag, IMHO.

WHOAH! No way - I don't normally order figures from online - I always buy them at retail. Feeling disappointed ....  >:(

He's kidding. :) I've seen that wave at retail.
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