Why no Generations in Australia?

[Jinto]

Hey guys, probably a question that's been asked before, but do we know why Generations isn't coming to Oz any more?

[Paulbot]

Hey guys, probably a question that's been asked before, but do we know why Generations isn't coming to Oz any more?

It seems mostly that the retailers only want the toys that have media (Cartoon/Movie) to promote them. And Hasbro Aus isn't heavily promoting them either

This was Griffin's update from the Toyfair earlier this year (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=18170)


Okay, okay... the main bit people here are wanting to find out about - the non-Movie Generations toys... Are we getting them???
"Most likely" is the short answer I can relay from them, as the 2014 Generations toys were not on display, and were not pushed to Retailers this year. However, their appearance in Australia will depend on the ability to offload their 2013 Generations toys, that they've been sitting on for a little while now.
I haven't been told yet which waves they already have in their Australian warehouse, but I might get the details some time after Toyfair is wrapped up. All they could say, was that it was about a thousand units of each of some of the Comic-book Deluxes, and some of the 2013 Legends 2-packs (which he thinks might be the Autobot Data Disc wave).
The word is that they might end up at Kmart in May/June, during the pre-movie increase in demand for the Brand.... AND THEN... once those are out to whichever store takes them, we will get the 2014 Generations toys pushed to Retailers from around the middle of the year.
Soooo.... since the Retailers failed to take up the 2013 stock, Hasbro Australia wants to get rid of that first, BEFORE offering the 2014 figures.
This might mean many of the early 2014 Generations toys won't come to Australia, but ones like Leader Jetfire (which aren't being released in America until after the Movie anyway) should get here after the Movie as well. Jetfire was specifically mentioned, because the Brand Manager loves the toy so much, he wants to make sure we get it here.

In a movie year, the Retailers have gone overboard with buying all the different movie gimmick lines (even though a bunch of these are already of clearance) and over ordered Wave 1 of the 'regular' toys as usual.

[GoktimusPrime]

Good question. I've tried calling Hasbro Australia three times about this, and never got an answer -- as in, I never even had anyone answering my calls! Each time I called, I was answered by a machine. The first 2 times, the machine diverted me to another machine which hung up on me. The third time, I had a machine which diverted me to another machine which diverted me to another machine and I just hung up.

Meanwhile, every time I've ever called Takara/TOMY, my call is always answered by a person, and my issue is always resolved ASAP. The last time I called TakTOM was when I received MP Rumble which came with two of the same side piledriver. TakaraTOMY sent me a spare set of both L-R piledrivers as well as an apology letter.



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/acquisitions/th_acquisition_20130429_zps580e50fe.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/custserv_zpsb4bec9d6.jpg

[Jinto]

Thanks guys, that clears it up.

[Lint]

The last time I called TakTOM was when I received MP Rumble which came with two of the same side piledriver. TakaraTOMY sent me a spare set of both L-R piledrivers as well as an apology letter.


Wish I was a fluent Japanese speaker. Might be able to fix the two right fists misassembly error on my Fort Max.

[Paulbot]

It occurs to me that considering that many of the "AOE" legends are Generations toys (Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, tank Megatron) if Generations Skids, Goldfire, Springer et al had been released in AOE packaging (but with "classic/retro/comic series" or similar as a smaller byline) we may have got them.

Everytime a Marvel movie comes out there seems to be the Movie toys on the shelf alongside "Comic/Classic" toys of the characters toys in the same packaging. Seems to works for them.

[BigTransformerTrev]

There are Generations Jetfire's in Toyworlds and AoE is technically a generations line. Before that the lat generations toys to my memory were the FOC ones

[Bidoofdude]

There are Generations Jetfire's in Toyworlds and AoE is technically a generations line. Before that the lat generations toys to my memory were the FOC ones

Does Toyworld count as a retailer like Kmart or Toys 'R' Us, or does it count as a discount, more individual store, such as independant comic shops or the Reject Shop? Items and prices seem to differ between most stores.

[BigTransformerTrev]

Does Toyworld count as a retailer like Kmart or Toys 'R' Us, or does it count as a discount, more individual store, such as independant comic shops or the Reject Shop? Items and prices seem to differ between most stores.

Heh - buggered if I know :D

I think it might be one of those things like an IGA

[griffin]

Does Toyworld count as a retailer like Kmart or Toys 'R' Us, or does it count as a discount, more individual store, such as independant comic shops or the Reject Shop? Items and prices seem to differ between most stores.

Toyworld is one of the seven major store chains that get a range of toys from toy companies like Hasbro.
The only difference to the other six is that Toyworld stores are a franchise of private owners (like McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and Australia Post), so prices can be different at each location... except when there is an advertised price or sale price or promotional offer, then everyone has to adhere to it.
Which means that there is a head office somewhere that the store owners communicate with, and coordinate product lines as well as recommended & advertised prices.

[Bidoofdude]

Toyworld is one of the seven major store chains that get a range of toys from toy companies like Hasbro.
The only difference to the other six is that Toyworld stores are a franchise of private owners (like McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and Australia Post), so prices can be different at each location... except when there is an advertised price or sale price or promotional offer, then everyone has to adhere to it.
Which means that there is a head office somewhere that the store owners communicate with, and coordinate product lines as well as recommended & advertised prices.

That makes sense now. They're a franchise.

[tinyJazz]

and AoE is technically a generations line.

How? That doesn't sound right to me. Isn't all movie stuff separate from Generations?

[SharkyMcShark]

How? That doesn't sound right to me. Isn't all movie stuff separate from Generations?

My understanding of the way it's all categorised is that anything in the long running standard size classes (deluxe, scout, voyager, leader) is part of the "Generations" line, and the Two Step/Titan/Flip Change (?) and whatever other stuff they've got that's aimed at the youngest audience are the actual 'movie line'.

[SuspectimusPrime]

How? That doesn't sound right to me. Isn't all movie stuff separate from Generations?


My understanding of the way it's all categorised is that anything in the long running standard size classes (deluxe, scout, voyager, leader) is part of the "Generations" line, and the Two Step/Titan/Flip Change (?) and whatever other stuff they've got that's aimed at the youngest audience are the actual 'movie line'.

I'm pretty sure classifying movie stuff as "Generations" is purely marketing tact to associate movie stuff with CHUG stuff which flies off the shelves better (also gives freebie points for SEO marketing). Standard sizing simply assists parents associate $-to-plastic ratio value.

[griffin]

The Generations label was indeed more of an after-thought, to differentiate the gimmick toys from the gimmick-less ones (the toys that we'd call "mainline", but with the focus and quantity now being on the gimmick toys, it now makes them the "mainline" in the eyes of Hasbro).
It is also a way for Hasbro to direct the attention of collectors to specific toys, but not go so far that it looks like a different, non-movie, toyline to the general public, who buy the bulk of their products.