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First-Aid wrote:Has anyone else noticed a near-complete lack of Transformers figures on the shelves the last year of so? The only store that has fully stocked shelves anymore is TRU. WalMart and Target are spotty at best, and KMart is good if you want TF figs more than a year old. One wonders if the stores not stocking these toys are the real reason why Hasbro had a bad quarter and overall sales...

Movie toys versus regular release toys ...

It was great seeing and getting to hang out a little bit with some of the Illinois guys from around here at BotCon ... Grant, jessecuster, Dennis, and Paul. If I forgot anyone, my apologies. For those of you who've made it in years past that weren't there, you guys missed an awesome time hanging out. While BotCon 2012 wasn't my favorite BotCon as far as convention stuff goes (lackluster Hasbro panel, 50/50 on the exclusives, lack of big reveals, etc), it was by far my favorite BotCon for the social experience. There were a ton of people there that I knew ... ton of people from Seibertron.com. Largest outing of Seibertron.com people yet. It was surreal how many people were listening to myself, Counterpunch, Razorclaw, Tigertracks, and jon3.0 on the podcast. Awesome time. Can't wait to get together with everyone again.

Gah, I went to the following Targets today, my birthday: Woodfield, Rosemont, Golf Mill, and Skokie. All they had in new TFP was a single Hot Shot (don't ask me where, it's all a blurr), which I bought. He looks great!

EDIT- I should mention that I was/am looking for TFP Voy Starscream and Bulkhead, any sightings tonight?

First-Aid wrote:Has anyone else noticed a near-complete lack of Transformers figures on the shelves the last year of so? The only store that has fully stocked shelves anymore is TRU. WalMart and Target are spotty at best, and KMart is good if you want TF figs more than a year old. One wonders if the stores not stocking these toys are the real reason why Hasbro had a bad quarter and overall sales...

I really do tend to agree with this. Even with PRID I see nothing but empty shelves no matter what chain I walk into (sans TRU). The same case just hangs there for a week or so, disappears, and is replenished maybe once a month.

Its weird.

I long for the days when the case assortments were like, a pill bug, a german sheppard, a praying mantis, and a buffalo that barfs missles. Sigh. I'll take that over what we're getting now times a million.

I really would be very interested in seeing if these stores had any kind of marketing agreements with Hasbro and, by not putting out adequate product (and as such costing the compnay on the bottom line), if the company could hold the stores liable. The weird thing is, especially in Rockford, NONE of the action figure aisles are really getting restocked except Star Wars. Even the Avengers stuff has been really thin (which could bite them in the ass if the movie continues to do as well as it is...). Could we be seeing the end of the traditional toy section as more people buy online?

First-Aid wrote:I really would be very interested in seeing if these stores had any kind of marketing agreements with Hasbro and, by not putting out adequate product (and as such costing the compnay on the bottom line), if the company could hold the stores liable. The weird thing is, especially in Rockford, NONE of the action figure aisles are really getting restocked except Star Wars. Even the Avengers stuff has been really thin (which could bite them in the ass if the movie continues to do as well as it is...). Could we be seeing the end of the traditional toy section as more people buy online?

I think you might be reading more into it. It's April/May. It's not a big time of the year to sell toys. Lots of toy deals right before Easter. Next big restocks will be later this summer, and then again later in the year for the holiday season.

Avengers stuff is probably thin because it's selling. This is a huge week for Avengers. Product seems to be moving at the stores around me.

New Transformers are apparently coming down the pipes later this month. Starscream and Bulkhead are showing up in stores. Just got have some patience. Or be impatient like me and buy online.

This morning I bough the last TFP Cyberverse Dreadwing at Target on 63rd St., in Darien or Woodridge or whatever it's called. What was his wave-mate?

Ironhide.

Im only in this thread because I check each thread that gets updated for info but...honestly in 16 years of getting back into the hobby (with Beast Wars) I havent seen stock this dire. Even taking things like spring resets and Chinese New Years into account we should be seeing more product. I hit two Targets every day, on the way to work and on the way home.

Both have barren pegs. Im not even being hyperbolic: not a single deluxe in two Targets in nearly three weeks. Thats not typical. Joe fans have it even worse. The same two or three Destros or Fireflys haunt stores around here for MONTHS without refresh. Since Christmas.

Marvel Legends hits with one or two cases and then disappears. The Wal Mart thats a mile from my home is no different. Zero Joes since spring reset. I hit it every night before closing to check the pallets and...nothing for weeks. Just Nerf and Lego.

Theres probably nothing to it but man. Dire times. Inches away from caving and adding Knock Out to my p o

First-Aid wrote: I FINALLY found a full time job (after more than three years and 1,500+ applications) and won't have as much free time as I used to.

Man, I know that feeling. Congrats, and not that I'm trying to dwell in either of our pasts, but god is that a terrible feeling, seeing resume after resume go out, and nothing coming back in. Demoralizing as hell.

First-Aid wrote:I really would be very interested in seeing if these stores had any kind of marketing agreements with Hasbro and, by not putting out adequate product (and as such costing the compnay on the bottom line), if the company could hold the stores liable. The weird thing is, especially in Rockford, NONE of the action figure aisles are really getting restocked except Star Wars. Even the Avengers stuff has been really thin (which could bite them in the ass if the movie continues to do as well as it is...). Could we be seeing the end of the traditional toy section as more people buy online?

The First-Aid Quote-a-thon continues!

It's been an awful bunch of months in the toy aisles for me too. Christmas '10 I found the last full wave of TFs that I've seen up to Wave 1 of Prime. It was the Generations Dirge/Skullgrin/Thunderwing run. Since then, all I ever see are individual figures seemingly at random, and tons of shitty Bumblebees. Kidz luvs him!!! Yeah, well, they should start buying him and get them the **** off the pegs at literally every store I stop at.
*breathe*
Anyway, while I don't honestly think that the toy section is going extinct, particularly at chains like Target, I think it's pretty naive to always repeat a mantra of "Shelves are re-setting" or "Stores ordered too many/few cases," and that's a mindset that apparently puts me quite at odds around the fandom. Everyone seems so willing to say that this too shall pass, and I know that it will, but I don't think it's still just a production or distribution lull anymore. They said that in 2007. It's 2012. Should not a global company have been able to adjust their numbers in five years?

Agreed. There is more going on here. Hasbro cut 400 jobs last year due to declining profits. Sales are dropping. Is this a case of Hasbro mismanagement directly causing a drop in sales and profits (such as in the case of First Edition and the latter half of the DOTM figures), or is this a case of distribution poor distribution or a lack of interest from the major store chains and distributors?