Transformers isn't on Hasbro Australia's top 10 list this Xmas

[griffin]

For those wondering if the recent (lengthy) lull in Transformers by Retailers (and Hasbro) was about to end before the Christmas period, don't count on it. I'm predicting a rather bleak Christmas this year for any Transformers collector who are unable or unwilling to import.

According to the September issue of Toy & Hobby Retailer Magazine, Hasbro Australia's top 10 toys they are pushing to retailers this year for Christmas, are...

1 - Furby
2 - Monopoly Millionaire
3 - Nerf Elite Hailfire
4 - Baby Alive Baby Wanna Walk
5 - Twister Dance
6 - Furreal Bounce, My Happy to See Me Pup
7 - Sesame Street LOL
8 - Lazer Tag
9 - BeyWheelz Crash Course Set
10 - My Little Pony Royal Wedding Castle Playset

No boys action figure Brands at all really, so the boys 7-12 demographic that buys toys most of us collect (Transformers, Star Wars, Spiderman, Marvel, GIJoe, etc), doesn't appear to be in the crosshairs of Hasbro this Christmas season.

This suggests that Retailers won't be restocking much (if at all) of Transformers (and other action figure lines from Hasbro) before the start of next year... so if you are holding out for certain figures, especially the many waves we have now missed here in the last 6 months, my advice is to consider (affordable & reliable) online sources.

The absent waves/figures may still appear here, but recent history shows that if they do, it will be in limited numbers or random stores. Because while Wave 1 still clogs the shelves (like it did for the TF3 movie), retailers won't restock if Hasbro* doesn't give them an incentive to (discounting the wholesale price for the Retailers to sell more competitively against other toylines, and most importantly against much cheaper foreign sources).
And if Hasbro is pushing those other 10 lines this Christmas, they are less likely to do any temporary or permanent price drops for Transformers (a random sale at a store for specific items or brands is often the result of a temporary price drop from suppliers - no price drop from suppliers means less chance of a sale at a store before they decide to just stop stocking a "dead" product range and just clear them out cheap).

After 2 successive years of "dead" (failed) Transformers product lines in Australia (TF3, Kreo, TFPrime - all failed to sell enough of their launch wave to prompt most retailers to restock in any significant manner, or at all, leading to clearing out at a loss)... the brand has become so "toxic" to retailers, we might see Hasbro Australia take a step back from the brand next year in this country, so that they can make sure the 2014 movie toyline gains more interest as a "return to the brand".

At least with the "break" we had after Gen1 and Beast Machines in this country, it was more because the toys themselves were uninspiring to retailers and consumers... this time, the toys are fine... it's the price and over-supply of launch waves that has done the damage in this country.
But over-supply is something that will keep happening, as toy companies want to convince retailers to buy more than they need, in case the line flops early. Because if the retailers weren't going to re-order anyway, at least the toy company sold extra units of one wave before the series was axed.


*Hasbro America would probably need to approve a drop in pricing, as their commission from any Toy sold outside of America is pricing themselves out of the local markets in those other countries... The Head Office in America needs to understand that being greedy is leading to less sales, and less profit than if they forced a smaller commission rate on the foreign branches.

[5FDP]

Hasbro America doesn't care about sales outside of the US. If they did, we'd get the same amount of promotions here as what they get there. We're just a little fish in a big pond.

I would love to support our local businesses by buying locally but distribution, or rather lack of, and pricing is a BIG deterrent especially when you have other financial priorities which overshadow toy collecting.

[Starscream77]

That's the 'straw' for me. Just went online and put all my orders in. Sick of waiting for nothing... Cause that's what we will get, or maybe some scraps

[VERT]

Like you said. Even if we did want to support local sales. The shops need to stock something first before we can buy it. :-/

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Oh man that sucks so bad!! Its is such a shame, as the toys aren't all that bad either.

Oh well.

[Jinto]

Monopoly is the #2 game this Christmas? Furby still exists? Boy do i not understand kids these days. *Shakes walking frame*

[BigTransformerTrev]

The absent waves/figures may still appear here, but recent history shows that if they do, it will be in limited numbers or random stores. Because while Wave 1 still clogs the shelves (like it did for the TF3 movie), retailers won't restock if Hasbro* doesn't give them an incentive to (discounting the wholesale price for the Retailers to sell more competitively against other toylines, and most importantly against much cheaper foreign sources).

After 2 successive years of "dead" (failed) Transformers product lines in Australia (TF3, Kreo, TFPrime - all failed to sell enough of their launch wave to prompt most retailers to restock in any significant manner, or at all, leading to clearing out at a loss)... the brand has become so "toxic" to retailers, we might see Hasbro Australia take a step back from the brand next year in this country, so that they can make sure the 2014 movie toyline gains more interest as a "return to the brand".

At least with the "break" we had after Gen1 and Beast Machines in this country, it was more because the toys themselves were uninspiring to retailers and consumers... this time, the toys are fine... it's the price and over-supply of launch waves that has done the damage in this country.
But over-supply is something that will keep happening, as toy companies want to convince retailers to buy more than they need, in case the line flops early. Because if the retailers weren't going to re-order anyway, at least the toy company sold extra units of one wave before the series was axed.

I know I have certainly noticed this trend in recent years. Back when living in Melbourne and I would visit a, for example, TRU, there would be so many of a particular grouping of TF toys that would sit there for a year, precluding others from getting some shelf space.


As well as the overabundance of Wave 1 figures, I believe that the sales drop could also be contributed to:

Overstocking of variations of the same character -

Predominately Bumblebee & Optimus Prime.

Unless some is a VERY avid collector, most folk are happy with one version of a character from that particular line. There were SO many different versions of BBee released for DOTM! For your average parent buying their child a present, if they have gotten their child a DOTM BBee toy, they are not likely to go and buy the exact same toy that just has some colour variations or an extra cannon. The parents would be more likely to buy a different character, or a bot on the opposite side to fight, hence adding to the play value. But with so many BBee's clogging the shelves and not being sold because everyone already has a BBee, there was no room for Soundwave.

This can even be seen in the TF Prime toys. So far there has been deluxe BBee, BBee packaged with Starscream, Weaponizer BBee, tiny (commander class I think it is) BBee etc. As a collector with limited funds, I usually just wait and try to buy the biggest, most detailed version of a character. I had bought deluxe BBee and so I could get Starscream I had to end up with a second version of the same toy. Then after getting a Maccas Happy Meal BBee the Weaponizer BBee came out. Since I already had 3 versions of this character, I was unwilling to outlay cash for a 4th, even if it was the biggest and most detailed. And thus we are unlikely to see an Arachnid or Knock Out on the shelves because parents, kids and collectors have bought all the BBee's they need, and the other 50 versions are still sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

I believe is Hasbro wishes to increase sales, they really need to look at the variety of the toys and not try and overcapitalize on the popularity of one or two characters. I know it would mean I was spending more in my local Target, and I believe it would work that way accross the board.

[UltraMarginal]

Monopoly is the #2 game this Christmas? Furby still exists? Boy do i not understand kids these days. *Shakes walking frame*

I was in big W the other day and noticed a rather large furby on it's own stand, clearly there is a resurgence, perhaps they are hoping to sell some to people who had them when they were kids, who now have cash to burn just like transformers collectors.

I know I have certainly noticed this trend in recent years. Back when living in Melbourne and I would visit a, for example, TRU, there would be so many of a particular grouping of TF toys that would sit there for a year, precluding others from getting some shelf space.


As well as the overabundance of Wave 1 figures, I believe that the sales drop could also be contributed to:

Overstocking of variations of the same character -

Predominately Bumblebee & Optimus Prime.

Unless some is a VERY avid collector, most folk are happy with one version of a character from that particular line. There were SO many different versions of BBee released for DOTM! For your average parent buying their child a present, if they have gotten their child a DOTM BBee toy, they are not likely to go and buy the exact same toy that just has some colour variations or an extra cannon. The parents would be more likely to buy a different character, or a bot on the opposite side to fight, hence adding to the play value. But with so many BBee's clogging the shelves and not being sold because everyone already has a BBee, there was no room for Soundwave.

This can even be seen in the TF Prime toys. So far there has been deluxe BBee, BBee packaged with Starscream, Weaponizer BBee, tiny (commander class I think it is) BBee etc. As a collector with limited funds, I usually just wait and try to buy the biggest, most detailed version of a character. I had bought deluxe BBee and so I could get Starscream I had to end up with a second version of the same toy. Then after getting a Maccas Happy Meal BBee the Weaponizer BBee came out. Since I already had 3 versions of this character, I was unwilling to outlay cash for a 4th, even if it was the biggest and most detailed. And thus we are unlikely to see an Arachnid or Knock Out on the shelves because parents, kids and collectors have bought all the BBee's they need, and the other 50 versions are still sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

I believe is Hasbro wishes to increase sales, they really need to look at the variety of the toys and not try and overcapitalize on the popularity of one or two characters. I know it would mean I was spending more in my local Target, and I believe it would work that way accross the board.

I agree with what your saying, but I've also been in toy isles many times where a kid has picked up a BB and said
"I want this one Mummy"
"but you already have a bumblebee"
"this one is different"

***********************************************

Just because Transformers aren't in the top ten doesn't mean they won't get any love, Hasbro has a lot more than 11 brands, they would be nuts not to bring something out, it just won't be as much as we're hoping. Which is also a byproduct of our hopes and dreams as collectors not necessarily being realistic either

[griffin]

I was in big W the other day and noticed a rather large furby on it's own stand, clearly there is a resurgence, perhaps they are hoping to sell some to people who had them when they were kids, who now have cash to burn just like transformers collectors.

Just because Transformers aren't in the top ten doesn't mean they won't get any love, Hasbro has a lot more than 11 brands, they would be nuts not to bring something out, it just won't be as much as we're hoping. Which is also a byproduct of our hopes and dreams as collectors not necessarily being realistic either

Unfortunately, the product-buyers at the major retailers aren't toy enthusiasts, so don't have an interest in what they sell, and will just focus on whatever the toy-distributors promote to them. Greater profit comes from doing the least amount of work (for the major chains), so they'd be happy for the toy-distributors to do as much work for them as possible (store displays, promotions, discounted stock, etc).
That's why toy-distributors would do something catchy like a "top 10", for the product-buyers to remember more easily, over competitors' products. Keeping the line-up small and simple, caters to the major-chain retailers who see one toy product as being the same as another (a mere product to profit from).
The toy-distributors will still continue to push their other products while they have a foot in the door, but the bulk of their product sales (volume) will be of those 10 lines, compared to anything else they have at the moment.


As for the Furbys - Hasbro & Mattel resurrect old toylines after a break, as they are new to a new generation (which is only about 3-5 years in toy years). They've updated the electronics to give them more features, but the Brand/concept, like Ponys, Strawberry Shortcake, Voltron, MOTU, Cabbage Patch Kids, etc, will keep coming back every few years.

[Megatron]

Here's an update on Hasbro's 3rd quarter results, plans and expectations for the holiday season:



Source: Mae Anderson, AAP
October 23, 2012

THE toys wars are heating up, with Hasbro planning to beef up spending on advertising after reporting that its third-quarter results fell by four per cent.

Hasbro, whose toys include My Little Pony, Transformers and Scrabble, said on Monday that its results were hurt by weakness in toys for boys and preschool and the stronger US dollar.

But the company's adjusted results topped Wall Street's forecasts and Hasbro remains confident heading into the critical holiday season, which is when toy makers can earn up to 40 per cent of annual revenue.

Hasbro is optimistic despite expectations the holidays will be a tough battleground for toy makers because retailers are ordering inventory more cautiously.

In addition, retailers, including Wal-Mart, Kmart and Toys R Us, have beefed up layaway and reservation services to encourage shoppers to buy toys early in the season, meaning they might be scarce later on.

...

Full article here: Hasbro profit falls 4%, revenue drops