21C discontinued

sarge · Post by **sarge** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:33 am

You all need to check out your local Wal-Marts. Just left my local Wal-Mart and all their 21C stuff has been moved to the clearance isles. M1 Abrahams,German Kubelwagons. planes the whole works. They are not going to carry the line anymore

In talking with the mgr of the dept, seems that they listen to customers feedback and one of the problems was 21C customer service or lack thereof:

Oh well guess 21C will have to fing another outlet for their obslete and unsellable stuff. back to ordering on line or going to BBI.

flayrah · Post by **flayrah** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:38 am

Are you certain this manager knows what he is talking about? Have you seen this in more than one store? I don't doubt you, but it sounds like they are clearing out their old stock, not necessarily discontinuing 21st entirely.....one local store here just re-set with shelf tags that read "1:18 Mil Veh". If Wally has dropped 21st I can't say I'm surprised, but .....TKO, what can you comment about this??

flpickupman · Post by **flpickupman** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:59 am

If Walmart would discount some of their items as little as 25% (stuff that's been on the shelf let's say 6 months or longer), they could move it a lot more easily. I find the notion of a $30 dusty Fw-190 versus a $40 dusty Fw-190 much more attractive. Beyond space considerations, the cost of the 1/18 scale planes is more of an obstacle. The vehicles, on the other hand, price nicely at about $23 and don't take as much room.

digger · Post by **digger** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:12 am

sarge wrote:You all need to check out your local Wal-Marts. Just left my local Wal-Mart and all their 21C stuff has been moved to the clearance isles. M1 Abrahams,German Kubelwagons. planes the whole works. They are not going to carry the line anymore In talking with the mgr of the dept, seems that they listen to customers feedback and one of the problems was 21C customer service or lack thereof: Oh well guess 21C will have to fing another outlet for their obslete and unsellable stuff. back to ordering on line or going to BBI.

I don't think that is right. Many a manager have said many equally outlandish things. Perhaps no more 1/6 line at WM but I doubt they would drop the others, especially 1/32.

The most absurd thing is the "reason" he gave you - no chance that has anything to do with anything. Have you ever tried calling Hasbro? Do you think they're going to drop Sigma Six?

One thing we know by now is take all WM employee comments about 21C with a shaker of salt.

With the lousy distribution of bbi at TRU and the limited amount of stuff bbi makes let's hope that's not all we're left with in the brick and mortar stores.

Post by **p51** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:33 am

I agree with Digger. Might just be your walmart, but all the ones around here sell like crazy. While some aircraft will last for 2-3 weeks, they eventually are all bought up. If anything, I think 21st is doing great at Walmart. I would not base an entire distribution on just one walmart.

And I see way more 21st Century Products in the stores being sold and restocked at Walmart than I do BBi at the moment at TRU. If anything, this post should be geared towards BBi and NOT 21st.

STUKA · Post by **STUKA** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:43 am

The Walmarts have new Sku stickers on the shelves for the new stuff comming in and one of the Toy managers told me they would place many of the items on clearance in feb.

I also no that every Walmart places clearance items differently as half of the Walmarts placed the RC tanks down to $30.00 - one of the $25.00. The other half still have them at Full price and two never had them on the shelves until after Christmas. 21st century toys is in the money making business and to allow a relationship with walmart fall would be a bad idea. Now if the company has idiots for management then yes -customer service and their clients would not get top notch service.

The problem with the large tanks is their not marketable outside a few select groups (many of us) they take up an entire bedroom, do not have working hatches, and very expensive. They never sell until the discounts hit. Great growing companies learn and grow from their mistakes in marketing a product.

I have seen more parents returning these than buying them.
on the other hand - they look cool.

21st Century toys would make more money of the large RC Tanks if they had an online catalogue where you could pick your custom painted tank design (different unit markings, camo etc.)

I think one of the problems with 21st century is they have so much money tied up in the 1:6 RC.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:25 pm

p51 wrote:I agree with Digger. Might just be your walmart, but all the ones around here sell like crazy. While some aircraft will last for 2-3 weeks, they eventually are all bought up. If anything, I think 21st is doing great at Walmart. I would not base an entire distribution on just one walmart.

And I see way more 21st Century Products in the stores being sold and restocked at Walmart than I do BBi at the moment at TRU. If anything, this post should be geared towards BBi and NOT 21st.

Thats pretty good for your area, P-51 (and to anyone else that has stores quickly selling their products!) I wonder what the factors might be to cause XD to sell so quickly, though it may be due to economics. Fresno has a very high incidence of people living below the poverty line and such people don't spend $40-$50 for a 1:18 plane or tank. In my area (about 200mi north of you), I may be the only person buying this stuff! Although new products do come in, they dissappear months later. The fastest I ever saw anything XD move was about one day from when it was put on the shelf - and that was on December 23rd! My situation has its advantages given that I pretty much have my pick of 21c products found over 6 Wal Marts, but I always fear that slow selling products will lead to discontinuations or the slow arrival of new items.

immeww2 · Post by **immeww2** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:24 pm

Say it isn't so!!!! That would be a terrible decision on WM's part. I think they sell 21st products quite well, save for the 1/6th stuff, but if the distribution of products were better, I think sales would be even greater. They wouldn't have to discount merchandise that is piling up in one area while another area has potential buyers but sees no products on shelves.

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:12 pm

I'm with Digger.

Each Wally store manager stocks what he feels will sell well in his area. His crystal ball says stock this and not that. If he is wrong for more than a few quarters, he is history.

The two stores closest to me are about 10 miles apart, one stocks a fair selection of 1/32. 1/18 and 1/6. The other has had two 1/18 planes and one 1/6 Humvee on their sjelves for three months. Go figure what those managers are thinking.

TTT

spect_spidey · Post by **spect_spidey** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:24 pm

I gotta agree with digger and threetoughtrucks. I frequent 3 Walmarts within a 30 mile area. One has 1:32 tanks and 1:18 figures, planes, vehicles. One has 1:32 tanks & planes and 1:18 figures & planes. And the other one carries all 1:32 items including Forces of Valor figures, 21st playsets & figure packs, 1:6 weapons assortments, 1:144 tanks, and all 1:18 items. It is entirely what they think they can sell in a given sales area.

sarge · Post by **sarge** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:32 pm

immeww2 wrote:Say it isn't so!!!! That would be a terrible decision on WM's part. I think they sell 21st products quite well, save for the 1/6th stuff, but if the distribution of products were better, I think sales would be even greater. They wouldn't have to discount merchandise that is piling up in one area while another area has potential buyers but sees no products on shelves.

I don't think the mgr was that much in the know as to what or wasn't going to be carried. I do know that two weeks ago they were in the process of setting their shelves where 21C had it's own spot. Today that was gone and everything 21C was in the clearance section. I havn't checked out the other stores in the area (tomarrow) to see what they're doing but I know they haven't gotten any new 21C stuff since before xmas. They still carry the black ME109 along with alot of other obsolete 21C stuff. The buyers load these stores up with so much that it's impossible for them to sell it all which in turn makes it look like the store lacks the sales to continue carrying the items. Their only recourse is to clearance them. I sure don't like the idea of going back to on line sales but if WM shuts down 21C I have no choice. It seems that all these companies start off with a bang and then fizzel over time. Wonder why? BBI was good but where did they go? I hope this new company Admiral does alot better.

Razor17019 · Post by **Razor17019** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:20 pm

What kind of discounts were on these 21st Century items??
Are they good deals??
Please give us particulars...

You can private me too on this.

Morian Miner · Post by **Morian Miner** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:23 pm

I wouldn't worry about it. I've constantly had toy managers tell me this toy line, or that toy line, is discontinued and won't be carried anymore. A few months later, everythings back on the shelf. I've also been at Walmarts that had clearances FW-190s, and 3-4 months later they had them back on the shelf AND at full price. I doubt even Einstein, if he was alive, he could figure out how Walmart does things.

Rogo · Post by **Rogo** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:24 pm

It would certainly help if the product distribution could be improved. It took over a year for the four WM stores in my AO to rid themselves of FW190s. I think there are only 3 left among them. Unfortunately, all four stores have now been stocked up with S1 Graf 109s and they have been sitting on the shelves for several weeks now going nowhere

It seems that the east coast is getting a better mix of product. Perhaps WM should put that guy in charge of west coast as well.
Anyway, if I were the toy manager, I would be pretty darn disappointed at having all these large, expensive and identical planes taking up precious space in my department. I'm not at all surprised at what Sarge experienced and if the things don't improve with distribution, we'll likely be seeing more of this very soon.

Rogo

Website · Post by **Teamski** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:30 pm

Scare mongering will not win you friends on this board, hehehehe.....

I'm sure 21st is good to go as far as Walmart goes. I'm also sure that a lot of lessons are being learned, though. The mixed cases of F-104's and ME-109s are a case in point. We still have the Avenger, F-86, Mig-15, retooled P-51's, and other surprises on the horizon. I am not worried in the least.....

-Ski

sarge · Post by **sarge** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:22 pm

Rogo wrote:It would certainly help if the product distribution could be improved. It took over a year for the four WM stores in my AO to rid themselves of FW190s. I think there are only 3 left among them. Unfortunately, all four stores have now been stocked up with S1 Graf 109s and they have been sitting on the shelves for several weeks now going nowhere
It seems that the east coast is getting a better mix of product. Perhaps WM should put that guy in charge of west coast as well.
Anyway, if I were the toy manager, I would be pretty darn disappointed at having all these large, expensive and identical planes taking up precious space in my department. I'm not at all surprised at what Sarge experienced and if the things don't improve with distribution, we'll likely be seeing more of this very soon.

Rogo

Funny you would say the East coast is getting the better deal,I was thinking it was the other way around.

Remember the dogfight contest 21C had a few months ago to help the "overstocked" WMs' out? There was not one FW of any size or color in any of the 9 WMs' in this area let alone any new 21C item.

But some one some where won. Maybe they live in the middle of the U.S.

Right before xmas is when the shelves started filling up. Now xmas is over and we're back to square 1.

I'd like to find out who WMs' buyers are cause every time a question is asked as to how come or why not, it always falls back on what the buyer does. Go figure.

holensock · Post by **holensock** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:47 pm

One way to find out more info on this is to ask your local Walmart Managers. I'll start tomorrow with the WM's here in the Cleveland area...

problemchild · Post by **problemchild** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:46 pm

we have nothing up here in Manitoba Canada for 21st century stuff last thing I bought was stuka at toys r us they dont carry any 21st stuff anymore and none of the wallmarts do either.

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:58 pm

I don't think this is "Nation Wide".....I believe this is "isolated" to just a few,.. if any locations. ,......Hopefully True !

holensock · Post by **holensock** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:23 pm

Hmmm...come to think of it, I think the Walmart's here in my area ALREADY discontinued 21C way before Christmas as I STILL can't find ANYTHING!

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:33 pm

I still find "plenty" here in my AO. .....Including,..."New" stuff they keep "bringing in" !

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:07 pm

Then again,...

...this could very well be a trend. .....Considering some of the "junk" 21st., sends them. ......Like "broken" stuff,...."hurried production models",......and you don't know it till you get home and open it up ! .......Then you take it back,..for a refund too ! .....So,..could be,... Wal-Mart is having too many problems with 21st.Century Toys,...as well as "Buyer" and Customer Service difficulty.

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:46 pm

I can guarantee that Wallyworld has absolutely NO problems with 21C "Customer Service" or product distribution.

If Wally wants a question answered. it is answered. If Wally is told a WC51 will be available for countrywide (or worldwide WM distribution) it is a done deal.

Don't comfuse "our" Customer Service unanswered questions with Wally's questions. Wally doesn't care about us and our dealings with 21C.

Wally's internal distribution is a marvel of automation. Every time a product is sold Wally's computers act on replacing that item on their shelves. The ONLY thing that stops that process is the local store manager....he can choose not to replace that item with a click.

Those of us that saw that CNBC special a while back on the good and bad of Wally will remember the Wally distribution center that has the look of the control room in that movie "War Games". I was expecting the giant screens to say "Do you want to play a game?"

Have faith, 21C is OK.

TTT

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:09 pm

HAHAHAHA !! ......Thanx,...TTT ....Very Well Put,....Indeed !

tko211 · Post by **tko211** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:30 pm

I have spoken with 21st Century Toys this week as things are gearing up for ToyFair in NY.

21st reports that the relationship with Wal-Mart is very much alive! Any problems on a local level would be just that "local". We can all plan on seeing new products on shelves very soon. After the Holidays it is very common to see overstock items on sale from all kinds of companies. 21st is not alone in in the after holidays sales.

I can't wait till Feb! I want to see what is in store for us in 06!

catch you guys later.

Small Scale Military Headquarters

21C discontinued

21C discontinued

Re: 21C discontinued