SuperTarget = The New TRU?

[Jango Fettish]

I'm going to make this brief, because I plan on using this as a "Jango's Jargon" segment, but I had to share.

I was at SuperTarget today and found Cat in the Hat figures, new Toy Story figures, new Muppet figures, new McFarlane NFL 2 packs, new LOTR:ROTK figures, new "Armies of.." mini figures, new Turtles figures and more.

Next aisle over, turn to the right..BOOM! Clone Wars vehicles, new Screen Scenes, Han Hoth, Happy Meal R2, Mynock Chewie, New Batman line figure, new Mini Gundam figs, just..WOW!

Target is straight up punking Toys R Us toy wise, it seems.

[BigDumbWookiee]

In my opinion, they always have punked out TRU. I've never particularly liked TRU, and have always had excellent luck at Target stores. I'd venture to say of all the Star Wars toys I've purchased offline, probably 75% of them have come from Target stores. Super Target is now my absolute favorite place to shop, not only because of the fantastic toy selection, but because of the high quality merchandise and wide selection of other goods. Target is on the way to becoming a high end store, and is doing very well to seperate itself from stores like Wal Mart and KMart. Never in my many years of going to and working at Target stores, have I encountered a rude Target employee. That is definately something I can say for any other store I've ever shopped at.

Well, sounds like my Clone busts just arrived, gotta go lol

[Chris]

I just got back from Target and they had all of the new Clone Wars vehicles and the Yoda and Darth Vader Lightsabers. They had 3 basic figures on the pegs, Jango Fett (Slave 1 Pilot), Destroyer Droid, and Teemto. That's it.

Toys R Us did have the Bounty Hunter 4 Packs and Clone Wars Deluxe, but no new Saga.

[chuckles]

I agree. Target is by far the best place right now. Most of my latest purchases have all come at Targets. I'm all current on SW figs now due to them and have also found, on numerous occasions, the Screen Scenes and all the Clone War ships. Heck, just earlier today I found the corrected version of Throne Room Duel Luke there.

I won't completely knock TRU down as I have found every Unleashed fig there, all the 12" figs there and their Exclusives are super easy to get a hold of. But they just suck as far as the rest of the stuff goes.

[SiteC]

I've never been in a Target in my life.  Whats it like in there?  :p

TRU though I do like for the ease in getting exclusives from...although I've yet to see the BH pack....

[roguestormtrooper]

I have never really understood TRU's logic.  TRU is supposed to be a "TOY" store.  So,  why do they never have anything new?  I'm not just talking about SW...  The TRU's here still have ET product all over the place and at all full price.  The only truly good experience I have had with TRU was the Great POTFII clearance a few years back brfore they remodeled the stores.   The remodeling,  in my opinion,  destroyed TRU.  I have even spoke to managers who said that following the remodeling they would not carry the broad range of products that they have before,  but they would be more of a specialty store.  Target just recently opened in the New Orleans area in the last year and they are already stomping TRU into the ground.  Before Target came,  and they decided to cut back on the product they will carry,  Wal-Mart was stomping them into the ground...  Maybe it's just me,  but I don't understand...

[Rob]

For the last month or so, i've been finding new stuff pretty much exclusively at Target (and supertargets)

They've all redone their toy sections this month too...

[JediMAC]

Target was the ONLY store I found any of the 2003 Saga figures in up until just last month.  I surprisinly had a pretty easy time finding most everything for this year at one point or another at the plethora of Targets here in SoCal.  Sure, there's been a lot of pegwarmers sitting in some of them, but at least that doesn't generally keep those respective stores from unloading a few new cases of SW figures when they do come in, rather than stashing them away in the back until the current pegwarming stuff sells out.

Target also has some great clearance sales and markdowns on the majority of their toys eventually.  Wait around for a while, and you can get some GREAT deals there!  On the other hand, it's a cold day in hell before TRU ever considers marking ANYTHING in it's stores down.  Still plenty of April 2002 product absolutely CLOGGING their stores around here for the simple fact that they adamantly REFUSE to run any sales or reduce any prices.  Really pisses me off!

It also seems that when some of Hasbro's reps made the rounds a couple months back, removing some of the excess figures from various stores pegs, that they mostly did so at the Target stores around here, and none of the other retail outlets for some reason.

I also find that Target generally keeps a cleaner and more organized store (and toy aisle), and also has an immensely easier and more pleasant customer service area.  I've never had any problems with returns, exchanges, or whatnot at Targets.  Whereas I have to play 20 questions at TRU if I ever try to return something there.  They go on and on about how the Star Wars figure stuff are considered "collectibles", and as such only have a 45 day return policy, and you must have good reason to be returning the stuff in the first place.  They seem to think that everyone's "out to get them" and must be a scalper or something.  Really bugs me...

WM's are virtually non-existent here in SoCal, and have barely had any new product this year anyways.  The TRU's have FINALLY re-entered the SW figure fray with the release of the new Saga styled cards with gold trim.  Up until those figures, TRU had stopped carrying any new SW product this year, which says a lot about them and their amount of interest in us SW collectors.

So Target is THE store for me!  I've done 90% or more of my SW shopping there this year, and still a vast majority of it there in previous years as well.  Just a more pleasant shopping experience all around for me...  

[Obi-Juan]

Me and my buddies have been finding more things at Target than any other store.  Hope TRU starts to pick up or they'll be sorry.

[Mikey D]

Nothing really more to add that what's already been said.  Target's have been excellent for me out in Mass.  While some are still in the process of re-setting their aisles, most are done or almost done.  I expect the Clone Wars stuff to show up soon.  The other lines are stocked equally well.  And their clearance sales are fantastic.  I picked up the Lego Millenium Falcon for $50 (1/2 off) and the UCS Tie Interceptor for $25  .  I lucked out on the UCS Xwing and Rebel Blockade Runner for cheap.  The only other place where I scored something so expensive so cheap was Walmart, where I found the UCS Yoda for $10.  TRU has this for sale at the full price of $99 still.  TRU did clearance their UCS Naboo Fighter though, a whopping $10 (from $40 to $30)

Now only if Target would clearance the movie Spiderman figs that are collecting dust, I would be happy.  I know its only $7, but I have a feeling once I buy it, Target will clearance it, so I'm holding out.

[MetalJedi]

I haven't really stopped at TRU that much anymore.

The only things Ive bought there in the last few months was the new Unleashed since they're the only retail store that carries them it seems.

Ive picked up pretty much everything at Target. So yeah Target pretty much rules.

[Ben]

If it wasn't for the fact that they have the Hasbro Transformers reissues, I would rarely go to TRU. My local TRU doesn't carry the Unleashed figures, the sporadically get in the Clone Wars 3-packs, and the only figure they have on the Star Wars pegs is Jango Pilot. They're pretty good for LOTR, but the assurchin employees cherry-pick those cases.

[Karma]

A SuperTarget recently opened up near me, two exits down from the regular Target. SuperTarget rocked in the Toys section- new Clone Wars vehicles galore but not much in the figures area. Regular Target still has Jango Fett Kamino warming the pegs.
-Karma

[Darth Broem]

My area is kind of odd.  It's like a store will do great for awhile and then suck for a long period of time.  While Target sucked the longest around here now it's fairly decent.  Toys R Us used to be great but it's in a prolonged suckage period finally broken by finding the Clone Wars 3 packs last weekend.  

Kaybee was great last year but now sucks in my area.  K-Mart almost always blows though.  I just never know who is going to step up around here.