william-james88 wrote:Wolfman Jake wrote:Seibertron wrote:While this doesn't necessarily mean distribution will be good, it does raise the possibility to happen! This could be good news for those on the lookout for Novastar, as well as possibly lending credence to the idea that Hasbro's new four-wave system does result in (at least marginally) better distribution.
I get that Hasbro is trying to get rid of the "end of line syndrome" by making the final wave or assortment of a line mostly of repacks from earlier so there is a better chance that every unique character gets on the shelves before stores stop ordering more product. However, how does putting in a sole new figure in the last wave help that figure get better distribution at all? It's still creating scarcity because of a hugely flawed distribution system, just for a smaller selection of figures now. Why not completely exclude new releases from the final assortments? This business with Firestar and, before her, Slugslinger, seems kind of half-assed and self-defeating.
I think there is some confusion as to the strategies being used to fix the end of line syndrome.
Its not making the final wave mostly repacks that is being referred to, its the strategy of having only 4. Regardless of the final wave beign repacks or all new figures, its the fact that there are 4 waves total and not 6 that really helps us here. When a line lasts longer than a year (so six waves), you lose the incentive of retailers ordering the last wave for 2 reasons:
1. they already have a bunch of stock from the same line they still have to sell
2. at 6 waves, the line isnt new anymore and retailers live off the idea that new stuff sells better (and that media backed stuff sells more, but thats another story)
So by reducing it to a yearly thing, retailers can order all 4 waves, not dreading the idea of beign stuck with last year's line still on the shelves and not selling, plus they are less likely to have overstock from previous wave build up.
So I am pretty sure thats what Seibertron was referring to with the strategy currently being used to help the distriution issues they are reading about.
All I know is that it's September and I've barely seen anything from Wave 2 in any of the local stores. I've ordered all the figures I want from Waves 3 and 4 (and part of Wave 2) online; we're far enough past the halfway point of the year that, if I haven't seen even half of what's supposed to be in stores this year, I figure all bets are off.
Glarryg