Things you never realised about Transformers (toys etc)

[GoktimusPrime]

I spoke with a Hasbro dude today and told him of the ongoing frustration of not being able to find new toys in local stores, how some people have just given up and ordered online from overseas etc. - which he fully sympathised with. I showed him my TFPRiD Ratchet and told him about how frustrated I've been searching for this toy for SO DAMN LONG -- and I still haven't found Vehicon and Knock Out yet! However he explained to me that Hasbro Australia actually orders virtually every Transformer that Hasbro USA releases, with the exception of limited exclusives (e.g. TFCC, BotCon etc.), but the problem is that retailers aren't ordering the new stock from them!

For example, Hasbro Australia actually did receive First Edition toys which they pitched to retailers, but none of the retailers submitted an order of sufficient size (apparently one retailer only wanted to order 500 for their stores, which is too small an order to make it worthwhile for Hasbro AU to import and distribute), so the FE toys just ended up sitting at Hasbro AU (not sure if they've kept them or sent them back).

He said that he feels frustrated because retailers think that the new stuff won't sell when they're trying to convince them that it will. He did admit that part of the problem is that Hasbro USA has overproduced Bumblebees which continue to clog shelves/pegs, which discourages retailers from ordering more stock.

So yeah... gotta start bugging your local retailers to order more stock from Hasbro AU -- because they have the toys... they're just waiting for retailers to order them in! This is quite different from the usual response I get from retail staff who always claim that they have no idea what Hasbro's gonna send them and when. :/

Oh... I've also heard something about possible upcoming TF DVDs/BRs... but erm, I'm not at liberty to disclose details. But watch this space (I'll divulge more if I'm allowed to ).

[Sky Shadow]

However he explained to me that Hasbro Australia actually orders virtually every Transformer that Hasbro USA releases, with the exception of limited exclusives (e.g. TFCC, BotCon etc.), but the problem is that retailers aren't ordering the new stock from them!

For example, Hasbro Australia actually did receive First Edition toys which they pitched to retailers, but none of the retailers submitted an order of sufficient size (apparently one retailer only wanted to order 500 for their stores, which is too small an order to make it worthwhile for Hasbro AU to import and distribute), so the FE toys just ended up sitting at Hasbro AU (not sure if they've kept them or sent them back).

This is why Hasbro AU should offer a mail-order service. Not only would they get back those of us who buy our toys online, but they'd endear themselves to the collectors' community and be able to sell their toys without dealing with all the middlemen, thus getting themselves a greater profit. (And not a loss if they end up shipping the toys to Australia and back/trashing them.)

[Decepticon]

Trouble is, Hasbro AU probably have a backlog of older stock (DOTM Bumblebees) sitting in their warehouse to use first. A good example is older DOTM deluxes (BB, Laserbeak) which are currently flooding every Target and the new batch of Ultimate Ops and Commettor/Ops flooding Kmart that I saw today.

[Paulbot]

I showed him my TFPRiD Ratchet and told him about how frustrated I've been searching for this toy for SO DAMN LONG -- and I still haven't found Vehicon and Knock Out yet!

Chillax. Only one chain has got in the Ratchet/Arcee wave yet, and that was only four or so weeks ago, and no store has got the Vehicon Knock Out wave yet. No need to be mad about it. All those toys are in later waves too.


Anyway, I saw the DOTM Deluxe Prime in truck mode for the first time (with the trailer at Target) and it looks nice in that mode. They should have packaged the other versions of that toy in that mode.

[Tober]

I spoke with a Hasbro dude today and told him... snip, snip ...the usual response I get from retail staff who always claim that they have no idea what Hasbro's gonna send them and when. :/

Oh... I've also heard something about possible upcoming TF DVDs/BRs... but erm, I'm not at liberty to disclose details. But watch this space (I'll divulge more if I'm allowed to ).

You've never read an Australian Toy Fair report..?

In all fairness (ha-ha) any rep' at a show is going to attempt to persuade a retailer to stock their product. More Spider Man 3 anyone..?

[griffin]

On what Tober was alluding to... Store BUYERS (at their various head offices) know what is coming from Hasbro, from the annual Toyfair, for up to 6 months (because I've seen their ordering forms listing the actual wave assortments, and listened in on the presentations by Hasbro Reps detailing which important characters are in certain waves).
The staff at individual stores won't know jack... because they don't know what they get until their head office/warehouse (not Hasbro) sends it to their store.

Bugging an individual chain store (Toyworld is an exception) would be pointless, as most are allocated stock, or have automated ordering based on their designated minimum stock quantities (as in, they will only re-order when it gets below X number in stock, and IF their head office/warehouse still has them in stock). And their warehouse will not restock items that are slow moving, because it is a waste of precious floor/racking space. (speaking from experience)

The only people that have any power to increase stock in the stores (except at Toyworld) is the Head Office "Buyers"... the people who go to Toyfair, and will only listen to Hasbro Reps and sales stats on their existing product (to know what's worth re-buying, or not).
This is what the store staff really means when they say they don't know what is coming and when.
Hasbro is not the reason, the Store Chain "Buyers" are. It's why toy companies spend a lot of money on Toyfair to convince those small number of people to stock their product, and keep restocking it. Outside of Toyfair, it is up to Hasbro Reps to keep the "Buyers" coming back if the product doesn't sell well enough... by offering discounts for Store Sales.
And it isn't just with Toys either. It happens with most products, especially in Grocery. All those really big weekly specials of big-brand items in the grocery catalogues are from "Buyers" and suppliers negotiating temporary discounts on their stock to get in a new shipment and sell it fast at the stores. You should see the mountains of Coke and Pepsi we get in our warehouse in the week before a sale... and sometimes it has to be added to a future catalogue because a Buyer managed to get an unplanned good deal (and we end up with 100 pallets of 2-litre Coke taking up space for 3 weeks).


As for the First Edition Prime toys being imported but not sent out anywhere... I find it hard to believe, because their most senior person there for TFs has said twice that they were never planned for release here. And since stores pre-order mainline products, I'd find it very unlikely that they'd import a new line in without it already being mostly pre-ordered. It'd just be too much of a risk. They don't even bother importing store exclusives if they don't have a store signed up for it.

With Hasbro Australia recently telling us that we weren't getting MP10 released here, while TRU said we were, it's difficult to know what to believe from them now.
It'd be great if they did get in a shipment of First Edition toys, which make their way on clearance at Toyworld in a years time, but it just doesn't sound like it's possible.

[GoktimusPrime]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[GoktimusPrime]

Transformers Prime Wheeljack's alt mode is mean to be a contemporary Lancia Stratos (known as the Lancia New Stratos)! That's pretty damn cool!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnV...Stratos_02.JPG

[i_amtrunks]

For example, Hasbro Australia actually did receive First Edition toys which they pitched to retailers, but none of the retailers submitted an order of sufficient size (apparently one retailer only wanted to order 500 for their stores, which is too small an order to make it worthwhile for Hasbro AU to import and distribute), so the FE toys just ended up sitting at Hasbro AU (not sure if they've kept them or sent them back).

He said that he feels frustrated because retailers think that the new stuff won't sell when they're trying to convince them that it will. He did admit that part of the problem is that Hasbro USA has overproduced Bumblebees which continue to clog shelves/pegs, which discourages retailers from ordering more stock.

Sorry Gok, but this all sounds like the rep saying things you'd want to hear. It makes no sense to import so few figures in hopes that a chain (likely a Mr toys/Toyworld) would pick them up. The good ol' "it
s not our fault, it's the other guys!" shtick!

I'd like to know if the chain buyers get into big trouble for ordering tonnes of crap toys, I mean even they should know better than to order as many deluxe Bees and Primes as they have over the movie period. The people pushing those purchases are Hasbro reps, so it all comes back to their problem in the end.

[griffin]

Ultimately Hasbro is responsible for a failed line - by having the assortments padded out with Bbee & Optimus, and/or by not working harder to get retailers to restock and generate faster turnover (by discounting when they stagnate - we certainly have room to move on the wholesale price here, being twice what US retailers pay).