[Specter]

anyone know when Mattel and DC agreement/contract expires?

[Enigma2K2]

Have any of you... ANY OF YOU... seen me disagree with the comments about the retailers. No. In fact, back in the day on the WTF@TFW podcast, Kickback has already explained how much control the retailers have. But MattyCollector ain't exactly what I'd call flawless.

High prices, crap shipping, CLUB subscriptions?!?!? Why doesn't it have anything to do with it? why the hell did they have to cancel lines to make them club exclusives anyway?

[Shin Densetsu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigma2K2

Have any of you... ANY OF YOU... seen me disagree with the comments about the retailers. No. In fact, back in the day on the WTF@TFW podcast, Kickback has already explained how much control the retailers have. But MattyCollector ain't exactly what I'd call flawless.

High prices, crap shipping, CLUB subscriptions?!?!? Why doesn't it have anything to do with it? why the hell did they have to cancel lines to make them club exclusives anyway?

In Kickback I TRUST

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Jetty

I worked for Walmart. And I've said what the problem is, a million times on this board, and so have others. I'll explain it again (And I'm not intenting to sound snippy, that's not my intended tone and I appologize if it reads that way. I don't mean it to)

The problem is on the store level. It's the system virtually *all* the box retailers use to order items. It's literally called POS (Not making that up. And it *is* a p.o.s. system).
For Walmart and Target, virtually all ordering is done by the computer, which monitors what goes across the checkouts. Let's use Transformers for our main example:
A case in the first wave of Transformers Prime was made up of 3 Bumblebees, 2 Cliffjumpers, 2 Wheeljacks, and 1 Soundwave.
Each one of those has an individual UPC number, and on the reciept may even acknowledge the ndividual character, as it may read out "Tsfmr Bumble," or "Trns Sound" on the receipt.
What POS does, is it keeps track of how many items a store has in stock, and how many it has on the floor (meaning in the backroom, and on the shelf)
Once an item reaches below a preset amount, then the system automatically orders a preset amount of cases from their warehouse. And it does not acknowledge or understand the differences between Bumblebee or Soundwave.
So in this situation, Soundwave is a rare and popular character. Needed by kids and collectors alike. They can stock four cases to the shelf, and end up with 12 Bumblebees, 8 Cliffjumpers, 8 Wheeljacks, and only 4 Soundwaves.
Naturally, Soundwave is gonna sell out really fast. Even if not many people want him, but more people want Bumblebee. Those looking for Soundwave are still gonna come up short.
Now like I said, POS doesn't individualize, and see they're out of Soundwaves, and low on Wheeljacks, but still has 10 bumblebees on the shelf but no soundwaves. All it sees is they have 20 deluxe transformers on the shelf (where you or I see 10 'Bees, 7, Cliffs, and 3 'jacks), and a full case in the backstock, and doesn't order any more until the total stock reaches five or six deluxes.
While I can't speak for Barbi or simular girls toys, this effects every actionfigure, across every brand, across every toy company. It's been the downfall of many many lines. Even popular ones.
This is what effects distribution so badly, and this is something that Mattel, nor Hasbro has absolutely *any* say over.
It killed Transformers Alternators, and has been the single worst enemy to DCUC, and Infinite Heroes. Seen how badly it hurts transformers and Marvel Universe, too.

The only thing they can do is try to cheat it with case assortments. And even if they dropped the case assortments down as evenly as they can, to 1 figure per case, per wave, and even that still wouldn't do much.
On top of that, speaking from personal experience, it sometimes takes an act of god for an employee who is aware of a propblem to be *allowed* to do anything about it (Like clearance out figures that are gumming things up).
Hell, Walmart even uses POS on fresh areas like Produce. We threw away more good produce because POS kept screwing up our stock and shipping us stuff faster than we could sell it. We'd end up sitting on literally thirty 80 lbs cases of carrots, when we could only sell through maybe a case a day, with more coming in every night.
So it mucks up everything. Not just toys.

That is the true source of the problem. Bad case assortments, and bad character selections will only feed this. But it's the POS which dictates distributions. Because it see's the shelf full of something, it will continually skip ordering cases from the warehouse, which is why you can sometimes see one store skip two, or three waves, while another store the next town over may get them.

I hope that helps. (If I were wise, I'd save this post somewhere so I could just copy/paste it in the future.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morzilla

I work for target and now I'm doing the graveyard shift so I get to see what gets put on shelves before anyone else, and believe me when I say that I agree with crazy jetty on this one. Since I have started doing late nights all I have seen come in for toys is beyblade, star wars, and Avengers that's it.
And as I have also worked as cashier, I have seen more of the beyblades and the like fly out the door. No Marvel, DC, GIJoes, Star Wars, WWE/W/F, Halo, TF, McFairlane etal, all these are huge peg warmers.
So yes it's a retailers issue not a manufacturers.

And as far as all of the DC related toys we have.....it's a real but I think they all will go on clearance, 3 artamis 6" from YJ, Star saphire, Golden pharaoh, Orange lantern Lex, Bats legacy catwoman, and I think we still have AC: Harley Quinn, and that's about it.

I don't like/agree with mattel on how they are going about club infinite and the others. for that I rather order directly form either BBTS, ebay or other online store....

VERY VERY insightful and informative posts boys, thanks for giving us the insight on how things really are

[Jmacq1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigma2K2

Have any of you... ANY OF YOU... seen me disagree with the comments about the retailers. No. In fact, back in the day on the WTF@TFW podcast, Kickback has already explained how much control the retailers have. But MattyCollector ain't exactly what I'd call flawless.

High prices, crap shipping, CLUB subscriptions?!?!? Why doesn't it have anything to do with it? why the hell did they have to cancel lines to make them club exclusives anyway?

I don't recall anyone here claiming MattyCollector was "flawless" either.

And the only "canceled" line that became a "club exclusive" was now DCUC (and it was given an subscription line prior to its' cancellation). MotUC, Voltron, and Ghostbusters were never retail lines to begin with.

If you're going to rail against something, try to at least get your facts right.

[Crazy Jetty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigma2K2

Have any of you... ANY OF YOU... seen me disagree with the comments about the retailers. No. In fact, back in the day on the WTF@TFW podcast, Kickback has already explained how much control the retailers have. But MattyCollector ain't exactly what I'd call flawless.

High prices, crap shipping, CLUB subscriptions?!?!? Why doesn't it have anything to do with it? why the hell did they have to cancel lines to make them club exclusives anyway?

Then my appologies if I misunderstood you. But, the progression of the conversation began with you hitting them over an issue that's largely beyond their control.

Quote:

Why is "improving distribution" continuously the only thing they don't bother to do?

When Jmacq gave an inciteful and informative answer as someone from the inside, you respond with:

Quote:

And your excuse for MattyCollector is... ?

Which reads to me, and apparently others, that you're accusing him of making up BS.

[Enigma2K2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmacq1

I don't recall anyone here claiming MattyCollector was "flawless" either.

And the only "canceled" line that became a "club exclusive" was now DCUC (and it was given an subscription line prior to its' cancellation). MotUC, Voltron, and Ghostbusters were never retail lines to begin with.

If you're going to rail against something, try to at least get your facts right.

THAT'S exactly the line I was referring to! The Universe Classics line! What do you think I was collecting while Marvel dicked us around with the Legends line?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Jetty

When Jmacq gave an inciteful and informative answer as someone from the inside, you respond with:


Which reads to me, and apparently others, that you're accusing him of making up BS.

What funny translator did you use to get that? if anything, I was hoping for an explanation as to why MattyCollector just keeps f******* up...

It says something when I don't deal with them directly, and even I get pissed off at their s**** service.

[Crazy Jetty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigma2K2

What funny translator did you use to get that? if anything, I was hoping for an explanation as to why MattyCollector just keeps f******* up...

It says something when I don't deal with them directly, and even I get pissed off at their s**** service.

If you don't want people to read hostility in your words, try using words that read less hostile.

Instead of "What's your excuse for Mattycollector?" try something like "Okay then, but why is Mattycollector so bad at _______?"
It's an infinitely less dickish way to ask someone something if you want a genuine answer. And much less insulting towards the person you're talking to.

[tlasjr]

Great posts but the description of the pos system shows why it's a more complex problem than just retailer distribution.

If the system shows an item is selling they ship more. They don't have trouble distrbuting to the store where it is selling and needed. The example of the produce is a good one. It shows they were able to distribute it according to their plan, it was their sales forecast that was wrong. It should have been corrected more quickly.

So let's say there are 6 six figures evenly distributed of two each. One of them is destined to be a peg warmer. Lets say the planogram calls for 8 figures on the shelf. Week one they sell 10 figures, so they ship another case. Week two they sell another 10 figures and order another case. By week three there are 6 peg warmers on the shelf, so the sales slow because they they only have two desireables at a time.
Three weeks later they get in a fourth and final case. After a couple of weeks they have nothing left but peg warmers and dont need to order another case.
At this point the toy company comes back with wave two only to find that the retailer doesnt want any or at least a greatly reduced number of cases.

The problem from our point of view is that we have trouble finding that lastest wave. The problem from the Toy company point of view is they have no way to get us their product.
The problem for the retailer isn't that their system is underordering sellable product it's that the system causes them to order a product which will only sell 84% of the prduct they take in.

It's sobering to realize their systems don't identify individual items for inventory. Ever bring in the wrong receipt for a return?

Anybody have any ideas for solutions?

[Crazy Jetty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlasjr

Great posts but the description of the pos system shows why it's a more complex problem than just retailer distribution.

If the system shows an item is selling they ship more. They don't have trouble distrbuting to the store where it is selling and needed. The example of the produce is a good one. It shows they were able to distribute it according to their plan, it was their sales forecast that was wrong. It should have been corrected more quickly.

So let's say there are 6 six figures evenly distributed of two each. One of them is destined to be a peg warmer. Lets say the planogram calls for 8 figures on the shelf. Week one they sell 10 figures, so they ship another case. Week two they sell another 10 figures and order another case. By week three there are 6 peg warmers on the shelf, so the sales slow because they they only have two desireables at a time.
Three weeks later they get in a fourth and final case. After a couple of weeks they have nothing left but peg warmers and dont need to order another case.
At this point the toy company comes back with wave two only to find that the retailer doesnt want any or at least a greatly reduced number of cases.

The problem from our point of view is that we have trouble finding that lastest wave. The problem from the Toy company point of view is they have no way to get us their product.
The problem for the retailer isn't that their system is underordering sellable product it's that the system causes them to order a product which will only sell 84% of the prduct they take in.

It's sobering to realize their systems don't identify individual items for inventory. Ever bring in the wrong receipt for a return?

Anybody have any ideas for solutions?

The only true solution would be to return the power back to the department heads.
I worked at a regional Grocery store before I worked at walmart, worked in several departments, and was extremely close to the management staff. So I generally got to see how everything works, as well as doing my own share of inventory and ordering. (Even been put in charge of the store a few times)
We had out issues when it came to getting items we neither needed, nor wanted. But for the most part, when we were ordering what we needed, everything ran smoothly.
Then going to walmart, the people who run the departments really don't have much more control than us regular employees. My supervisor had some tricks, and so di the fresh area manager. And they both tended to look the other way and allow me to try to cheat the POS system. (Our tricks were to convence the computer we had more stock than we did to slow it down, or to convence it we had too little, to trigger it to send us more). But all three of us would be in a lot of trouble if people from outside the store caught us.
There are some tricks you can play to game the system. But the employees have to care enough first.

But ultimately, POS works for something like fuel filters, sports equipment, TVs, and maybe cloths... but a lot of employees don't realize toys, like lettuce has a finite shelf life. "Bad" product has to be gotten rid of every so often, so "good" product can be brought in. (Hell, I waited THREE YEARS for the Y-Wing SWTF to go on clearance)

The only real solution is return full control back to the hands of the toy department heads. And that unfortunately would only work if that person cares.
(I know, I tried for years to get moved to the toy department, if not outright supervisor. And I know for a fact, by speaking to other employees, that I was the only person in my store that really cared about the department)