GOOD ANSWER!!!tosborne3 wrote:Good morning everyone, I do agree that the reason we collectors aren't seeing the new figs are more with wallys than anything else, however I don't understand why the online retailers are being left out. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd be willing to buy online and pay a bit more for my x/d before making the arduous journey to my local headache, er I mean wallys.But overall I'm happy with 21st because thier products are the best. I just wish the products were easier to get hold of. I've e-mailed a few of the online retailers trying to find out if they knew when they would receive the new d-day figs, but they don't know either. I'm sorry if I sound like I'm complaining too much, I'm not trying to. I love 21st Century and their toys and I am a huge fan of XD. It's just frustrating. I'm sure everyone here can relate.
Ebay sellers LOVE 21C!
-
holensock
- Officer - Lt. Colonel
- Posts: 1214
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:35 am
- Location: Cleveland area
-
holensock
- Officer - Lt. Colonel
- Posts: 1214
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:35 am
- Location: Cleveland area
Here ya go! HOT toy!! Doesn't WM pick up on this with their ELABORATE COMPUTERIZED ORDER SYSTEM? Isn't there a computer geek that NOTICES that XD is selling off the shelf no matter WHO is buying it?! Doesn't the WM Toy Buyer SEE that of all the toys, XD CONTINUES, at least the figures and armor, are selling OFF THE SHELVES? SALES don't lie!!luftpanzer wrote:You cant find it at walmart becuase the stock boys are selling it on ebay! I used to work with a guy part time. His full time job was at a Toys Rus. When ever a hot item came in he said the employees would scoop it up with their employee discount befor the item hit the shelf. You dont think the guys at WM arnt doing the same? Next time your on ebay see where the seller lives. I bet the majority of them are in areas of the contry that Walmarts are known to have had a lot of Ultimate Soldier items in the varius scales.
-
holensock
- Officer - Lt. Colonel
- Posts: 1214
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:35 am
- Location: Cleveland area
caesarbc, I know what you're talking about, except for the baby #4 on the way, and a BIG CONGRATS on the new baby!!
I've given up on XD so many times, but came back when they became available at smalljoes and badcats. I've become frustrated again as I can't find the new figures at WM and am getting tired of not finding them at WM's and having the wife mad at me for wasting time looking for NOTHING...
I know that the owners at 21C don't want to 'strong arm' WM as WM would just tell them to forget the whole thing. But if I was the owner of 21C, I would at least try to convey to WM that their product DOES sell at stores that DO GET THEM IN! The only clearances that happen are at stores that get in too much while others got nothing...
I've given up on XD so many times, but came back when they became available at smalljoes and badcats. I've become frustrated again as I can't find the new figures at WM and am getting tired of not finding them at WM's and having the wife mad at me for wasting time looking for NOTHING...
I know that the owners at 21C don't want to 'strong arm' WM as WM would just tell them to forget the whole thing. But if I was the owner of 21C, I would at least try to convey to WM that their product DOES sell at stores that DO GET THEM IN! The only clearances that happen are at stores that get in too much while others got nothing...
-
Rowsdower
- Officer - Brigadier General
- Posts: 8043
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:33 pm
- Location: Ocala, FL
Same here except now they even have the little 1:18 vehicle stickers on the shelves and even a peg for 1:18 figs but after three weeks they are all still empty.holensock wrote: I've SEEN 21C ON THOSE SHEETS! BUT...they NEVER appear on the shelves...
And the only clearence I've ever seen were the $35 Avengers and every now and then a broken into, busted up vehicle with half the parts missing that they try to get rid of for around $5 off.
This message brought to you in part by Adderall.
-
luftpanzer
- Officer - Brigadier General
- Posts: 1528
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:55 pm
- Location: Randolph New Jersey
- Contact:
Hey fellas, just thought I would make another comment that came to my attention. When previous figures were available, i.e. BOB, OMG, Marines, Japs, it wasn't that big of a deal because they came to the online retailers fairly fast. Hopefully with enough voices commenting about not being able to find the d-day figures 21st will get them out to the online retailers pretty soon. I guess we'll all just have to be patient for now.
"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are very few old bold pilots."V.I.N.C.E.N.T. (Tbh)
-
lightning2000
- Officer - Major
- Posts: 1020
- Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:31 am
- Location: New York City
- Contact:
Product
Hello All,
Having worked in the toy industry a very long time as a store manager, buyer, merchandise manager, salesman and now owner, I thought I'd weigh in and give you another opinion as to what's going on.
A company like 21st Century Toys means very little to WM's bottom line, especially in the off-season. I'm not casting any aspersions against the manufacturer, its just that WM is such a large volume retailer that they could just as easily tell 21st they dont need them anymore whereas the manufactuer cant afford to say that. That's a rough situation to be in as a manufacturer when other toy retailers are shuttering their doors, scaling back on their SKUs, etc. Remember, WM is now responsible for 10% of all retail sales in the US, which means they have alot to say when it comes to which items make it onto their shelves and at what price.
Second, not all WMs are treated the same. I'm sure there are A, B, C and D stores, which earn their distinctions based upon volume. A store in the middle of Nebraska is simply not doing the same volume as one in a built up area like So Cal, Illinois or NY. Sorry, but that's a fact. So, its a good bet that the C and D stores might not even get the same product mix as the A or B stores.
Third, I'm quie familiar with planograms since I used to help create them a long time ago, albeit without the aid of a computer. I would routinely go into a test store, create an endcap using merchandise readily available or product expected shortly, map it out, then send out the information to the rest of the stores in the chain to show them how the end cap or aisle should look.
Now having said that, its important for a manufacturer to release product on schedule. If they dont, and the items are built in to a planogram, then it looks like a big hole on the shelf for all to see. So, instead of wasting precious retail space, a merchandise manager might instruct the chain to fill in the hole with other merchandise. At this point the original manufactuer may have permanently lost the shelf space to a competing line or it may be a case where they now have to wait until they can recover some other space.
As for product mix, buyers go to the shows like the AITF being held in two weeks to see what the manufacturers plan to release over the course of the year. Products with heavy ad spending, licensed products or movie-related products will oftentimes curry more favor with the buyer than other lines, and heance stand a better chance of making it onto the store shelves.
Finally, many of the XD merchandise you seek come in especially large boxes. So it might, for instance, take a few weeks before these items sell down to warrant restock. During this timeframe, another competing product with perhaps half the shelf footprint, might sell twice as many products. Now if you were a Toy Department manager looking to increase sales, wouldnt you be more inclined to stock your shelves with product that has a higher turn rate than product that could languish a bit before moving?
Again, I'm not trying to be disrespectful of the manufacturer or address other concerns like stockpeople selling product on ebay ahead of the consumer getting their due, but there are several factors that are working behind the scenes that might prevent you from finding these types of items on the average store shelf.
Cordially,
Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net
Having worked in the toy industry a very long time as a store manager, buyer, merchandise manager, salesman and now owner, I thought I'd weigh in and give you another opinion as to what's going on.
A company like 21st Century Toys means very little to WM's bottom line, especially in the off-season. I'm not casting any aspersions against the manufacturer, its just that WM is such a large volume retailer that they could just as easily tell 21st they dont need them anymore whereas the manufactuer cant afford to say that. That's a rough situation to be in as a manufacturer when other toy retailers are shuttering their doors, scaling back on their SKUs, etc. Remember, WM is now responsible for 10% of all retail sales in the US, which means they have alot to say when it comes to which items make it onto their shelves and at what price.
Second, not all WMs are treated the same. I'm sure there are A, B, C and D stores, which earn their distinctions based upon volume. A store in the middle of Nebraska is simply not doing the same volume as one in a built up area like So Cal, Illinois or NY. Sorry, but that's a fact. So, its a good bet that the C and D stores might not even get the same product mix as the A or B stores.
Third, I'm quie familiar with planograms since I used to help create them a long time ago, albeit without the aid of a computer. I would routinely go into a test store, create an endcap using merchandise readily available or product expected shortly, map it out, then send out the information to the rest of the stores in the chain to show them how the end cap or aisle should look.
Now having said that, its important for a manufacturer to release product on schedule. If they dont, and the items are built in to a planogram, then it looks like a big hole on the shelf for all to see. So, instead of wasting precious retail space, a merchandise manager might instruct the chain to fill in the hole with other merchandise. At this point the original manufactuer may have permanently lost the shelf space to a competing line or it may be a case where they now have to wait until they can recover some other space.
As for product mix, buyers go to the shows like the AITF being held in two weeks to see what the manufacturers plan to release over the course of the year. Products with heavy ad spending, licensed products or movie-related products will oftentimes curry more favor with the buyer than other lines, and heance stand a better chance of making it onto the store shelves.
Finally, many of the XD merchandise you seek come in especially large boxes. So it might, for instance, take a few weeks before these items sell down to warrant restock. During this timeframe, another competing product with perhaps half the shelf footprint, might sell twice as many products. Now if you were a Toy Department manager looking to increase sales, wouldnt you be more inclined to stock your shelves with product that has a higher turn rate than product that could languish a bit before moving?
Again, I'm not trying to be disrespectful of the manufacturer or address other concerns like stockpeople selling product on ebay ahead of the consumer getting their due, but there are several factors that are working behind the scenes that might prevent you from finding these types of items on the average store shelf.
Cordially,
Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net
Create Your Own Battlefield in Miniature or Build Your Own Private War Museum...The Choice is Yours at The Motor Pool!
-
holensock
- Officer - Lt. Colonel
- Posts: 1214
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:35 am
- Location: Cleveland area
Excellent, lightning2000! I just got back from a Walmart. I was able to not only talk with the store manager, but the toy manager as well!! All 3 of us walked the toy aisle where I voiced my opinion about XD. They took me to the aisle and showed me the EMPTY pegs where the 1:18 figures go. They had plently of the 1/6 weapon sets, but NO figures. The toy mgr said he's been trying to order them for 3 weeks now and he gets the "OUT OF STOCK" info back on them. The store mgr said this has been a problem with 21C and will give them one more week before YANKING down the pegs and placing other toys in the slots. The store mgr said he can't keep having 'empty' spots, not only in the toy aisle, but other aisles as well. He said each dept mgr will try to get the product in, but over time if the product doesn't show up-no matter how well it sells, it's GONE!
I asked if it could be the distribution's problem. He said not likely. That ALL WM's big or small should get what they order, of course the bigger store's get more of the product, but the smaller stores will get the product too, and if it sells out, each store should get a reorder too-unless of course the warehouse is out of it.
He said he didn't understand the point of 21C coming out with 1/6th weapons when there are NO figures to use them., but had to give shelf space to it as they are ON the planogram. I asked about 'clearance'...he just smiled.
So it all comes down to..."It's not my fault, it's their fault, it's not our fault it it's distribution's fault" and so on and so on...all I know is, I'm not gonna have any new XD any time soon...
I asked if it could be the distribution's problem. He said not likely. That ALL WM's big or small should get what they order, of course the bigger store's get more of the product, but the smaller stores will get the product too, and if it sells out, each store should get a reorder too-unless of course the warehouse is out of it.
He said he didn't understand the point of 21C coming out with 1/6th weapons when there are NO figures to use them., but had to give shelf space to it as they are ON the planogram. I asked about 'clearance'...he just smiled.
So it all comes down to..."It's not my fault, it's their fault, it's not our fault it it's distribution's fault" and so on and so on...all I know is, I'm not gonna have any new XD any time soon...
-
lightning2000
- Officer - Major
- Posts: 1020
- Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:31 am
- Location: New York City
- Contact:
Online
Hi,
Making product available at the manufacturer's level isnt always the solution either. For starters, the manufactuer is then competing with their retail accounts for sales, which isnt always looked upon quite favorably by the trade.
Secondly, it means the manufacturer then has to have the staff and infrastructure in place to deal with retail sales. It means people manning the phones, shipping loads of individual orders, credit card hassles, etc. That's alot of back office work and effort that could probably be better off put to use making, marketing and promoting their own products.
Cordially,
Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net
Making product available at the manufacturer's level isnt always the solution either. For starters, the manufactuer is then competing with their retail accounts for sales, which isnt always looked upon quite favorably by the trade.
Secondly, it means the manufacturer then has to have the staff and infrastructure in place to deal with retail sales. It means people manning the phones, shipping loads of individual orders, credit card hassles, etc. That's alot of back office work and effort that could probably be better off put to use making, marketing and promoting their own products.
Cordially,
Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net
Create Your Own Battlefield in Miniature or Build Your Own Private War Museum...The Choice is Yours at The Motor Pool!
-
Rowsdower
- Officer - Brigadier General
- Posts: 8043
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:33 pm
- Location: Ocala, FL
I just got back from WM and all the spots and pegs are still empty. There is tons of 32x, the tiny planes and tanks and even 1:6 weapons sets but a big empty hole where XD should be. Sooner or later WM is going to figure out they can stick more profitable items in that big empty hole and that means bad news for us XD collectors. 
This message brought to you in part by Adderall.
-
STUKA
- Officer - Brigadier General
- Posts: 2800
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:33 am
- Location: Ft Campbell
I AGREE - i KNOW IN THE ATLANTA area Starwars is hard to find the first month it is out as all the second market guys pretty much have the intel on when the shipment is taken out to the aisle. I ran into a lot of the same guys when I was trying to find some of the "Cars" movie vehicles for my daughter. There is some sort of gang warfare going on between the Hotwheels collectors and the starwars/marvel legends collectors as they both say they are giving one another a bad name...etc..luftpanzer wrote:You cant find it at walmart becuase the stock boys are selling it on ebay! I used to work with a guy part time. His full time job was at a Toys Rus. When ever a hot item came in he said the employees would scoop it up with their employee discount befor the item hit the shelf. You dont think the guys at WM arnt doing the same? Next time your on ebay see where the seller lives. I bet the majority of them are in areas of the contry that Walmarts are known to have had a lot of Ultimate Soldier items in the varius scales.
they walk around the WM aisles snapping their fingers and singing at one another - usually an all out rumble.
also if you leave TRU around closing time you can see empolyees purchasing and leaving with discounted goods.
Ich liebe den Geruch von Sturzkampfflugzeug morgens.
-
STUKA
- Officer - Brigadier General
- Posts: 2800
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:33 am
- Location: Ft Campbell
holensock wrote:... The toy mgr said he's been trying to order them for 3 weeks now and he gets the "OUT OF STOCK" info back on them. The store mgr said this has been a problem with 21C and will give them one more week before YANKING down the pegs and placing other toys in the slots. The store mgr said he can't keep having 'empty' spots, not only in the toy aisle, but other aisles as well. .......He said he didn't understand the point of 21C coming out with 1/6th weapons when there are NO figures to use them., but had to give shelf space to it as they are ON the planogram. ...
so basically 21st is shooting themselves in the foot with poor management?
or
my guess is they as a small company cannot keep up with the demands of Lord Walton... - their money - instead - is going into design of new product - isnt that what we aked for?
so either we get
a. new items that we want (with small distribution)
b. repaint after repaint with the occasional new item at WM
I like B better.
Ich liebe den Geruch von Sturzkampfflugzeug morgens.
Some one should do a spoof movie of the "toy collector gangs" and the battle for isle supremecy! That would be kinda funny. There could be a cute WM stock girl and have it be a turf war to win her affections and the ability to crack open new cases of fresh product before the main stream shoppers get the first pickings. Even better if it was a musical with quirky lyrics! I know Stuka was kidding but he might be onto something here!
