A legitimate question on Walmart exclusivity.

[Kabong30]

So, I'm wondering if there's been a lesson learned in the whole Wal-Mart debacle with Halo Series 2 and their exclusives. I have to say that Wal-mart does a piss poor job of selling McF products and this extends beyond the Halo figs. Sports figs, Dragons, Beowulf, I always see the McF stuff jammed into a little corner of the department, and it's almost never set correctly.

Maybe you guys need to talk to Target? Every time I'm in their toy department the shelves are properly faced, the product is easy to get to, and the employees are pleasant and knowledgeable (mostly).

So, while I realize that you probably have a deal running through a certain time with WM to provide exclusives, I'd say that they are probably doing the worst job of moving your product. They hold back the cases for a month or in the case of the Blue 12" appear to have broken street date in at least one location (evidenced by Ebay). I don't hate Wal-Mart but maybe they're not the place for you to have exclusive figs?

[Avatar_of_Chaos]

for me, Target is the worst place to find figures. Even though I regularly check a few, I haven't bought anything from them in about 2 years because I'd either already found the stuff I wanted or they don't stock it.

[Spawnomite]

What Target do you shop at? I've seen lots of Targets where stuff is just thrown around and employees who don't give a ****! But, yeah WM does suck ass too.

[Viking Spawn]

There's also Meijer and K Mart stores to consider.

[Kabong30]

There's also Meijer and K Mart stores to consider.

No Kmarts in DFW anymore (maybe not even TX) :( I miss the crappy snack bar.

Edit: No, Meijer either for that matter.

[spartan james]

or walmart could make it so you can buy there entire inventory of figures online, so people dont have to travel across the country to find the fig they want.

[IxSL4Y4xI]

or walmart could make it so you can buy there entire inventory of figures online, so people dont have to travel across the country to find the fig they want.

That would be awesome!!!
Too bad walmart sucks and isn't doing that. :mad:

[mikedanger]

No Kmarts in DFW anymore (maybe not even TX) :( I miss the crappy snack bar.

i think there's still one in abilene...but a 2.5 hour drive for an icee and a stale pretzel is a little much.

[mikedanger]

or walmart could make it so you can buy there entire inventory of figures online, so people dont have to travel across the country to find the fig they want.

but they want you physically in the store so you'll buy bread and milk and eggs and toilet paper...before you know it you've dropped $150 when you went in for 1 toy.

[Spawnomite]

No Kmarts in DFW anymore (maybe not even TX) :( I miss the crappy snack bar.

Edit: No, Meijer either for that matter.Yeah, I was pissed when K-Mart left San Antonio also. :mad:

[spartan james]

Yeah, I was pissed when K-Mart left San Antonio also. :mad:

kmart left reno

[Kabong30]

kmart left reno

But did they "Leave" "Las Vegas"? AH? AH? Is this thing on?

[spartan james]

But did they "Leave" "Las Vegas"? AH? AH? Is this thing on?

lol

[Spawnomite]

But did they "Leave" "Las Vegas"? AH? AH? Is this thing on?lol

[Bulldozer36]

But did they "Leave" "Las Vegas"? AH? AH? Is this thing on?

*hears a pin drop*

[Salvatore Lucania]

I think most retail stores these days, suck at putting anything out. They would rather stockpile their video game sections. I rarely bother with retail stores anymore, and just wait to get my stuff on-line.

[Robocop2]

i think there's still one in abilene...but a 2.5 hour drive for an icee and a stale pretzel is a little much.
Not sure about Abilene but I know there's a BigK in Sweet water
stupid language filter

[WIP1]

Almost ALL retailers 'suck' at handling TMP's products, especially sports lines, but all lines in general. Wal-Mart stinks at even carrying its own exclusives, no matter what line we're talking about. My two local Wal-Marts get basically half of the 'exlusives' they're supposed to get. Never can tell what is and isn't going to show up.

Target at least gets all its exclusives, but the store is terrible at stocking some of its stuff. They'll get a boatload of product in a line, and then bupkus for months.

Meijer is pathetic, and K-Mart is even worse.

[oldboy26]

So, I'm wondering if there's been a lesson learned in the whole Wal-Mart debacle with Halo Series 2 and their exclusives. I have to say that Wal-mart does a piss poor job of selling McF products and this extends beyond the Halo figs. Sports figs, Dragons, Beowulf, I always see the McF stuff jammed into a little corner of the department, and it's almost never set correctly.

Maybe you guys need to talk to Target? Every time I'm in their toy department the shelves are properly faced, the product is easy to get to, and the employees are pleasant and knowledgeable (mostly).

So, while I realize that you probably have a deal running through a certain time with WM to provide exclusives, I'd say that they are probably doing the worst job of moving your product. They hold back the cases for a month or in the case of the Blue 12" appear to have broken street date in at least one location (evidenced by Ebay). I don't hate Wal-Mart but maybe they're not the place for you to have exclusive figs?

Every Target i've been to(about 20 in multiple states) has more times than not had missplaced toys, fallen hooks, scrambled sections where it would all be the same toy brands but just not in order. So i wouldn't hold target up to high. The only stores that really does a good job of keeping their isles clean and neat is Toys R Us and KB Toys(but KB can be iffy at times too).

[Kabong30]

Every Target i've been too(about 20 in multiple states) has more times than not had missplaced toys, fallen hooks, scrambled sections where it would all be the same toy brands but just not in order. So i wouldn't hold target up to high. The only stores that really does a good job of keeping their isles clean and neat is Toys R Us and KB Toys(but KB can be iffy at times too).

Well, Target is a damn sight better than Walmart. And it only makes sense that a toy store would do a decent job of setting toys. I'm not some Target junkie, trust me, I think they're pretty pretentious on most fronts.

[Robocop2]

The only KB toys I have seen in a while are pretty much pegwarmer museums

[SteelSpartan]

McFarlane is going to have to work harder for getting shelf space then. When I was scoping out my Wal Mart over the last month (DAMN YOU BLUES!), all I could see were tons of Mattel and Hasbro boxes and big brands like Star Wars, Batman, and Iron Man. McFarlane stuff had literally six pegs. Eventually, three were filled with Halo stuff. Everything else was sports or dragons. And those have been there every time I was at Wal Mart. Even at other retailers like GameStop, FYE, and Spencer's, I find one or two pegs for Halo figures. GameStop and Spencer's I can understand because of the size of the stores. But FYE has stores bigger than either of those retailers.

Personally, I hate Wal Mart. I've only been to three that I would consider nice (two around Orlando, FL and one out in Utah). Otherwise, Wal Mart is poop. Nasty store conditions and crowded aisles. So, if McFarlane changes retail outlets or moves more stock online, that's great news for me.

I just don't think McFarlane is a big enough company to have the clout to get proper retail space.

[bborst]

I'm still curious why McFarlane Toys are no longer sold at Target stores. Used to be I could find all sorts of stuff there about 5 years ago or so.

[mnbvcxzlp]

You forgot to mention that all the walmart stores don't even sell them. >.>
So twice as many exclusives, yet only half the stores.
BS!

[Masked Moron]

Maybe you guys need to talk to Target? Every time I'm in their toy department the shelves are properly faced, the product is easy to get to, and the employees are pleasant and knowledgeable (mostly).


I'd rather see them in walmart... and you know... actually SEE them in walmart, sicne there are no Targets in Canada, and they won't ship to Canada....

[Kabong30]

I'd rather see them in walmart... and you know... actually SEE them in walmart, sicne there are no Targets in Canada, and they won't ship to Canada....

That's a good point!

[d8NopeD8b]

Mcfarlane exclusives from Zellers would be a good idea. I think I read somewhere that a big distributor for McF sportpicks figures works closely with Zellers. I think it could be done. We would have to pay $17.99CAN per figure but at least we canucks would get some love...

I think what is happening is that the popularity of the product is causing issues with distibution. You have workers holding figures and buying them before they can go public... god knows what other shenanigans are going on. Same crap was happening when the Nintendo Wii first came out.

[Masked Moron]

Mcfarlane exclusives from Zellers would be a good idea. I think I read somewhere that a big distributor for McF sportpicks figures works closely with Zellers. I think it could be done. We would have to pay $17.99CAN per figure but at least we canucks would get some love...

Dunno what it's like where you are, but the Zellers here charges almost DOUBLE for figs what the local comic shop charges.

(they wanted $80ish for the 12" Wings of redemption fig... I got it for $45 at the LCS.)

[d8NopeD8b]

Dunno what it's like where you are, but the Zellers here charges almost DOUBLE for figs what the local comic shop charges.

(they wanted $80ish for the 12" Wings of redemption fig... I got it for $45 at the LCS.)

You could ask them to price match. I think I read somewhere that another boardie did that with a reciept from Wally's.

[Masked Moron]

You could ask them to price match. I think I read somewhere that another boardie did that with a reciept from Wally's.

Tried that a while back, and the ******s working there looked at me like I was speaking swahili

edit: When did they censor the R word for "mentally challanged" ?

Besides... to have a receipt to use to price match, means I'd already have to have bought it... wouldn't it? and if they only price match, then I'm not getting it for cheaper, so it's just as easy to keep to orriginal one I bought to get the receipt to used for the pricematching......

[SoulRedeemer]

Yeah, I rather see exclusives just on the online store of McFarlane. Make them "club exclusives."

[Mongerty]

I think that they should stick with the light blue too, because the dark blue as an exclusive is just dumb, since it is such a popular color. They must be lining Todd's pockets for those exclusives.

I mean, I play team games, and I am blue 50% of the time. The figures should not end up so rare.

[lunatic-grin]

it's individuals.

[the angry orc]

target...gah. there are a couple of targets that i hit every once in a while and they always look like a bomb has exploded but the walmart 2 minutes down from it has an immaculate toy section with everything faced and neat, etc. i like the exclusives but i can understand why many people feel the blue spartans shouldn't be hard to find. especially if so many people play blue.

[impalerprince]

No Kmarts in DFW anymore (maybe not even TX) :( I miss the crappy snack bar.

Edit: No, Meijer either for that matter.


Oh, there's K-Marts in Texas alright.

[evilundertaker]

exclusives at my Wal-Maret suck beyond all possible belief...i can count on 1 hand the times i found an exclusive figure at the Hazleton,PA. Wal-Mart....

Clone Wars 501st trooper...

....actually make that 1 finger....

Incredible Hulk "Battle for New York" 2-pack
Masterpiece Starcream
30" Begins Batman
30" Superman
Iron Man movie "War Machine"
Transformers Classics Devastator gift-pack
WWE Classic Superstars 3-packs (the GOOD ones)
Marvel Legends "Giant Man" wave

.....were ALL bought by me at Wal-Mart's at a respective distance of 28 miles,23 miles,and 54 miles from my house...not ONE of those was bought by me in town,because they never made it to the pegs here...:mad:

[Kabong30]

edit: When did they censor the R word for "mentally challanged" ?


The Tropic Thunder thread got the mods all PC.

[Masked Moron]

The Tropic Thunder thread got the mods all PC.


Pffft. :rolleyes:

Besides... who's going to get offended, since ******s are... ya know... ******ed, and wouldn't be capable of seeing something posted on a computer.

It's like making fun of the Amish on tv... they'll never know about it either.

;)

[dragonballz]

i know that walmart selection sucks i hate going there but i have no choice isnce strange reason they get new transformers figures in first instead of toysrus where ilive i go to target where i live there selection is poeple know what there talking.

and they alwasy have what im looking for if the figure is in stock not walmart obviously walamrt & supermart dont even carry mcfarln figures target maybe i didnt bother looking:spawnorb:

[Kabong30]

Pffft. :rolleyes:

Besides... who's going to get offended, since ******s are... ya know... ******ed, and wouldn't be capable of seeing something posted on a computer.

It's like making fun of the Amish on tv... they'll never know about it either.

;)

Seriously,

http://board.spawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=471169

I almost scratched out my own eyes after reading it.

[Kabong30]

i know that walmart selection sucks i hate going there but i have no choice isnce strange reason they get new transformers figures in first instead of toysrus where ilive i go to target where i live there selection is poeple know what there talking.

and they alwasy have what im looking for if the figure is in stock not walmart obviously walamrt & supermart dont even carry mcfarln figures target maybe i didnt bother looking:spawnorb:

Did you send this from your cell-phn?

[snedden001]

Walmart has been terrible with TMP products for years. Either none to speak of, or when they do have product it is stacked in a corner or shoved in the overflow aisle by the dog food. This is pretty consistent with all 5 of the Walmarts within 30 miles of my house. The Halo 3 Series 1 figures were never even put out in the actual toy department, they were left in the display racks and shoved on the bottom shelf next to the board games. The Beowulf figures never even had that respect given to them, and were simply thrown in a stack under the spider man 3 section. No price markers, nothing. SP's have an average of 3-4 pegs and are usually stocked once, and then never paid attention to again. Walmart does not handle TMP products properly, and IMHO shouldn't be given exclusives.