primalxconvoy wrote:Hasbro UK, like many UK-based subsideraries of "foreign" (toy) companies, is little more than a warehouse. They are not really "Hasbro" per sec. In Hasbro UK's case, they are a small warehouse company in Wales, staffed by middle-aged ladies, who know nothing about the products that they sell. I remember once asking them if they had "Tigerhawk" for sale and I had to wait while they checked the internet (after I told them that I had already checked there). It turned out that their official records had him down as "Flying White Tiger". I kid you not.
I am so glad I left the UK for Japan, as Britain has less products than developing nations when it comes to toys. It's awful. (The girls are a bit better in Japan, too)
No longer the case, from my experience. I've met the brand reps for the past couple of years, and have spoken to the marketing and PR departments, as well as development, and they're all lovely and knowledgeable.
Some of the sales reps are not as clued up, I'll give you that much - and that's usually what affects distribution, along with strange market practices on the retailer side.
Also, the UK still gets a lot more than anywhere else in the EU!