Flashwave wrote:But would the Retailer side support it? Or would they care?
Or, would thry continue ordering stoxk more or less quarterly like they are, and we ebd up shorted on the middle month releases? Or end up with mid month releases plugging the distribution up when the next quarter startshould have been ordered? Say Walmart sayd "Ha ha ha that minthly stuff is cute. We'll see you in April."
Walmart, and even Amazon to some extent, are precisely the problem. The watered down business metrics that say "just do a few big orders and/or resets a year" are very likely the correct way for them to do business as it relates to the wider public in most circumstances.
My idea of how to "fix it" is probably not palatable to the Walmarts of the world, but I'm clock watching at the office so whatever, I'll keep typing. I'd like a beer and cannot have one, so we're going to pretend that Power of the Primes is a craft beer made by a brewery that got bought by AmBev (Budweiser's parent company). Bud Light will be analagous to all of Hasbro's other Transformers toys intended for use by and designed for kids.
AmBev is going to brew tons of Bud Light, a terrible "beer", because if you don't like beer or want to just drink 48 beers without dying, it's a great option. However, it's usually never a problem to still get whatever fancy craft product of theirs that you want. While most customers go into the store, buy Bud Light, and gtfo with a stupid grin on their face while they get ready to unleash their inner Chad, the super cool TF collector that wants a Sculpin can also go to the store and be happy because they'll have that too. Maybe not several 48 packs, but at least something.
This is because there are independent, contracted distibutors for the large brewhouses like AmBev on a local level that have dudes that drive to even the local gas station, see what sells, and make sure they stock it right in cooperation with that owner. They both have incentives to do so. The system works.
Don't drink.
Anyhow, I think that could work for toys and we already see it on a small scale with online retailers. Unfortunately, Hasbro treats these places like third class citizens when it comes to orders so they can't make up for the demand gap. The Chosen Prime got Wave 3 Deluxes in this last week, but if you were even a hair too slow you missed them. I'm sure they'd love to sell more and now, but actors like Walmart have become increasingly aggressive in making sure that your local bottle shop (The Chosen Prime, Captured Prey, TF Source, et al) where you tend to get your limited run Double Imperial IPA (Masterpiece figures, etc) can't get an AmBev craft beer (Power of the Primes), something Walmart doesn't sell much of, by threatening to lower orders of Bud Light (all the other toys) if Hasbro starts leveling the playing field for smaller retailers.
Maybe if somewhere like Walmart wanted to expand profitable revenue in toys, they could hire well compensated, incentivized local managers to work with the distributors and buyers on a more focuaed level to ensure consumer demands were met. They'd be like your local beer dude, making sure you get your tasty dankness while Chad crushes his Bud Light.
Unfortunately, Walmart is evil and just wants to drown you in stale old 48 packs of Bud Light on a Monday, because then you're going to need more toilet paper and maybe some Hot Pockets and 18 other more profitable things for the same amount of money you would have spent on one freaking Snarl c'mon.
)
To have a release schedule like this. a few items each month, on pretty much a guaranteed date, and guaranteed to be in stock at larger B&M chains, and available online....Sure I know 
does, but one can dream...
Even if I don't see any PotP in the next couple days, at the very least you improved my mood. Thanks for that. Even though I don't, I've been the DD at more friends parties than I care to remember, so I know how it all works.
