The State of the Toy Business.

[5FDP]

As opposed to say the Alien, Predator and Terminator franchises? Rambo? Various horror movies? Movies have always had toy lines somewhat inappropriately, and I'd say those movies are far worse than any of the TF ones.

IMO the big difference here is that Transformers started out as a toy line aimed at children. The movies followed.

[reillyd]

Yeah, I'm not sure that the article is right on their numbers there, that 500 mil retail price was produced but only 250 will be sold.... And Griffin is spot on about the Wave 2 stock. I wouldn't think that Hasbro would make available sales data, and the articles source may be wrong.

[DELTAprime]

As far as the toy market as whole part goes. Is it down because the global economy is? Or is down because more toy companies are making cheaper products at high prices like Hasbro is with hollow Transformers and 5 POA Star Wars figures?

[Sky Shadow]

I was at Toys 'R' Us today, and thinking how outdated Hasbro's model is in terms of case assortments. Toys that are going to be shelfwarmers are now doubly so, because toys that people actually want will be a.) bought first by people who want them, and b.) bought by scalpers to sell online. At Woolworths, if they run out of oranges, they can order more oranges. They don't have to buy the oranges in an assortment that contains one orange, two apples, three lemons and a mandarin.

[kup]

I was at Toys 'R' Us today, and thinking how outdated Hasbro's model is in terms of case assortments. Toys that are going to be shelfwarmers are now doubly so, because toys that people actually want will be a.) bought first by people who want them, and b.) bought by scalpers to sell online. At Woolworths, if they run out of oranges, they can order more oranges. They don't have to buy the oranges in an assortment that contains one orange, two apples, three lemons and a mandarin.

So true, they should go back to an 80s model. I remember Transformers (and other toys) being restocked at stores once sold out.

[Lint]

I was at Toys 'R' Us today, and thinking how outdated Hasbro's model is in terms of case assortments. Toys that are going to be shelfwarmers are now doubly so, because toys that people actually want will be a.) bought first by people who want them, and b.) bought by scalpers to sell online. At Woolworths, if they run out of oranges, they can order more oranges. They don't have to buy the oranges in an assortment that contains one orange, two apples, three lemons and a mandarin.

It's also a retailer problem. My local coles refuses to buy in cases of Schweppes Agrum and instead only stocks Sugarfree Agrum. Sugarfree Agrum shelfwarms like crap even when its on special. This has been an ongoing problem for nearly 3 years so they clearly haven't noticed or cared.

If Hasbro did do cases of single product types theres no stopping an ignorant retailer from ordering a boatload of crap we don't want and not learning their lesson from it. Also, with this, there is a huge risk that a particular product may not get picked up by retailers at all, so all your design and development costs go down the toilet. It's a pity that Hasbro pretty much have to tailor their product to sell to the retailer, not the end consumer.

[Sinnertwin]

Single figures, multiple figures, you're inevitably going to end up with figures that don't sell.
The key is variety. Nobody is going to be interested in a figure that has been available for the last two waves. From what i've seen, Hasbro do seem to be changing their ways... slowly.

[Dimi194]

I was at Toys 'R' Us today, and thinking how outdated Hasbro's model is in terms of case assortments. Toys that are going to be shelfwarmers are now doubly so, because toys that people actually want will be a.) bought first by people who want them, and b.) bought by scalpers to sell online. At Woolworths, if they run out of oranges, they can order more oranges. They don't have to buy the oranges in an assortment that contains one orange, two apples, three lemons and a mandarin.

Just had the privilege to have a look at a yet to be placed on shelves box of AOE deluxe figures. Despite there being no Drifts (I bought the last one), Crosshairs or Bumblebees, the box of about 20 had only 3 Bumblebees, 1 Crosshairs (mine!) and the rest were Dinobots... which were still on the shelves... silly Hasbro!

[i_amtrunks]

They've blown all the hype they could've gotten from the movie. Its past the holidays and the movie has been out for almost a month, its time is over.

Hasbro should've had 3-4 waves of toys out on shelves pre movie, with a large focus on the Dinobots (from the advertising), Lockdown (as the star) and their 2 leading bots, with later lines releasing the other "main" cast.

As is now, since they forced so much early wave crap onto retailers here, they will never clear it all for new waves.

They need to rethink their media strategy and go back to having a tv series on, even at the same time as the movie. You only have to look at TMNT or Ben 10, the weekly series is constantly on, and those toy sections are forever moving stock. Transformers is closer to Monsters University, where stock remains on shelves forever and never goes anywhere until clearanced.

[Sinnertwin]

Speaking of crap, i was filling in the toy section today and i overheard a parent in the next aisle ask his son if he wanted a Mashing figure. There was a pause followed by "they look like s***, mum, can i have the big dinosaur?"
Needless to say, i don't think i've sold one.