Quote Originally Posted by griffin View Post
Prices went up quickly when our dollar weakened and hit US$0.50... but prices never came back down, unlike everything else that gets imported.

The American owned toy companies were quick to raise prices to offset a weaker Aussie dollar, so I don't see how they can be locked into lengthy price periods, or justify resisting cheaper prices. After all, if they can easily go one way, there's no reason why they can't just as quickly go the other way.

At the end of the day, if Hasbro can reduce the size and paint apps of toys to offset inflation and keep size-classes priced the same over several years in America, then a 40% increase in the Aussie Dollar in the last 5 years demands answers if our prices don't get significantly cheaper. And my question to them is, why is it hard to believe that we shouldn't be seeing close to a 40% improvement in our prices, if Hasbro already had a price buffer when we were at US$0.50...
I don't disagree Griff. Far from it & the point you make is valid. Nothing would surprise me but the way I am reading it & I may be very wrong indeed but if a 3 year agreement was signed during the period when the AU$ was very low that would explain a lot.

If not then the buyers for the retailers need to take the hard stance of playing hardball with Hasbro on this. If Myer, DJ's, Big W, Kmart. Target & TRU all threatened to remove Hasbro product from their shelves unless they passed on genuine price reductions Hasbro would find itself in a very dangerous position.

As you said answers are required & it is interesting that the retail prices are all pretty similar even if though the retailers would all have different contract dates & lengths.

I also suspect that there is a bunch of resale price maintenence transpiring between Hasbro & their distributors.