Rank 3 - Basic Member
To use a phrase from Metal Slug... "MISSION COMPLETE". I managed to dig up a 30th Anniversary G1 Starscream from a Reject Shop on the northside. So much happiness in such a little package. Thanks again for the offer Caffinetron – my micro G1 collection is complete!
Rank 3 - Basic Member
No problemo!Originally Posted by Facepunches
To use a phrase from Metal Slug... "MISSION COMPLETE". I managed to dig up a 30th Anniversary G1 Starscream from a Reject Shop on the northside. So much happiness in such a little package. Thanks again for the offer Caffinetron – my micro G1 collection is complete!
Rank 10 - Admin
I think someone at the store must have gotten a verbal spanking from head office, as I got a phonecall this afternoon from one of the store managers, and he didn't sound happy. He started off by wanting to know when the photo was taken, so that he could defensively say that the display had been removed at the end of the day, so it was okay to be neglected for at least a whole day.Kmart Sunnybank's visual merchandising display at the front of the store...
Almost completely stripped bare, with no interest from Kmart to put other Transformers toys in it... as this store at least (could be Kmart policy) aren't interested in touching Third Party displays, even though it could benefit their bottom line by selling stock that would otherwise just sit in the back of the store in the toy section.
Since they have Transformers toys in THREE different sections of the store at the moment, with the other two sections being “hidden” in the extremities of the store’s corners, I went to the Service Counter and asked them, why are they wasting the Visual Display that is at the front of the store? Why not benefit from it by getting one of their staff to just spend 5 minutes to grab some Transformers toys in the other two sections, just to keep it filled.
I was being polite and genuinely helpful with the suggestion, but the lady gave me attitude as though she was really unimpressed that a customer was telling her how to run the store. So I sent a message (and the photo) to Kmart Head Office and to Hasbro, because the stores need to keep these Visual Merchandising displays stocked and selling product if they want to make money. Even if the Visual Displays are the responsibility of a third party company to set up and dismantle, what is Kmart thinking for wasting an asset like that, when it is clearly making them more money on toy products that otherwise don’t move where they are currently located at the back of the store. (sure, if the products in display sell out it is a success already, but why waste a themed display if there is more of that themed stock in the store that needs the extra help)
As I was there for a few minutes and then took that photo, people kept stopping to look at the display, or their eyes were drawn to it as they walked past (it is right near the entrance of the store), but with half the display empty... what a waste – for both Kmart (who sell less stock, so aren’t even taking this free(?) display-stand seriously), and Hasbro (because it is the one time in the year you get regular people forced to look at your product, who otherwise won’t make the trip to the toy section at the back of the store).
All that from just wanting to get the artwork scene at the top of the display when they are finished with it (as it just gets trashed)... which she said they were not responsible for it and couldn't help me chase up the people who were.
I said to him that it wasn't just looking like that on that last day, and shouldn't have been left like that even for half a day. So he then went on to say that him and the 5 managers wouldn't have left it looking like that for a whole day, let alone several... but since it's my nearby store, I had been in there a few times during the two weeks it was up, and it was never restocked with anything that wasn't in there on the first day. Once the DLX Generations sold out or the One-Steps were almost all gone, nothing was put in their place. And there were no permanent shelf-tags there, so anything with a "Transformers" logo could go in there... even the pencil cases and other merchandise that won't move for six months.
The weekend before, it was already a mess, with many slots already down to just one or two items on the sides. You can even see in the photo, that they put a pile of blue Kmart baskets next to the other side, to hide the empty slots that faced the entrance of the store, so that they didn't have to put any effort into finding something to put in there.
He also claimed that they don't remove toys from their "primary" section (the toy department) just to fill a temporary display... but they had an over-supply of Power Battlers and Rescue Bots in the toy department, and they also had heaps of Titans and Hero Mashers in the seasonal section that they could have easily grabbed a half dozen as well, just to put at least one item in each slot of the more visual, high-traffic eyesore of an empty display case at the front of the store. (instead of trying to hide it behind blue Kmart baskets)
How difficult is it to grab 6 items from the Seasonal section, and stick them in the empty slots, just to give people something to think about buying, that they otherwise probably wouldn't have even known existed because they were already past the Seasonal aisle that had Transformers toys.
And how difficult is it for their staff, who I see walk past it every few seconds of the day, to straighten up what is currently in the display. That mess wasn't just done that morning (I was there an hour after it opened), and even if it was, do you leave something that messy at the front of the store if staff are constantly walking past all day long?
And what bugs me a little is that Head Office didn't respond to my email at all, but they were more than happy to pass on my phone number to the Sunnybank store so that some stranger calls me up claiming to be a store Managers, and give me a rather hostile phone call... who couldn't hang up fast enough after justifying procedures that were either flawed, or didn't obviously even happen.
(I do feel bad for managers who have their hands tied by corporate policy, but to have one calling me to berate my constructive criticism AND suggestions, was disappointing)
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
What's worse is that it's at the front of the store & it's a given that if it's empty, you fill it. & that whole spiel about 5 Managers.., pfft.
As far passing on the numbers, that's something they've implemented so that the store you had the experience with can resolve the issue personally. The fact that you've got photographic evidence now means H/O is fully aware & the store doesn't have a leg to stand on.
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
The local Kmart near me has a display near the front of the store that looks similar to that. Except this one only has a few of the slots of one (out of four) sides of the display partially filled. It hasn't been like that for only one day either.
It is sad, considering how much AoE stock they purchased, that they haven't refilled the display yet. It's their loss I guess, especially considering that NOW is the time to have them constantly packed full in their prime (see what I did there?) location during the first few weeks of the movie release.
If they leave it too long, the hype will die down shortly and they'll have bucket loads of shelf-warming product that they'll have to try and sell at a discount in 6 months time.
Madness....
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
It is exactly the same in K-MaRT Rocky (which as far as I can tell never even got the new Generations FOC deluxes in). It's a shame that K-Mart seem so utterly devoted to not doing any work at all to promote the franchise.
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
That response from the local store member is appalling! You did not send them your contact details so they can be forwarded to a hostile staff member who then attempts to discredit you. Seriously. I am sure BTT can pen a great letter back to Head Office about the poor handling of this by both the Head Office and local staff.
"I am not a gun. I'm hitting people with a hammer. On Mars."
The Iron Giant / David Wildgoose
Rank 1 - New or Inactive
Aspley Toys R Us has a few wave 2 AoE deluxes, and Grimlock and Slug AoE evolution-packs. Also, if you're looking for over priced Hasbro Masterpieces, they have a few Prowls available.
Rank 3 - Basic Member
Did you ask them about the MP Grimlock at all?
Rank 1 - New or Inactive
Sorry no. I was just wasting a bit of time there before I needed to do something, so I was basically 'in then out'.
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