Bad News!!!!......maybe..probably...just read

[DarthChuckMc]

Ok,
For those that know, and now for those that don't, I am the Toys and Sporting Goods Team Lead at my Super Target. Every Wednesday, I scan all the OUTS and CRITICAL LOWS in my department, to see if the items are in backstock, and if my counts are correct. Well, today, when I scanned the 4 pegs I have for CLONE WARS Animated figures, I was shocked to see that they have been DISCONTINUED!!!! I guess rumors of a 3rd and 4th line are bogus, or maybe TARGET has decided not to carry them for the next round (BIG MISTAKE).

Anyway, I thought I'd fill you guys and gals in. If they are DISCO, they'll be hitting the CLEARANCE pegs soon with the ULTRA waves.

BTW...all of the DPCIs are in the system for OTC basic, vehicles, Falcon, lightsabers, basic sabers, Yoda, Unleashed, and VOTC....but nothing has a Planogram # attached yet. My next major reset isn't until August 1st, and that'll be gearing me up for X-mas. Maybe a revision to my current set is coming soon, but I haven't heard otherwise

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Thanks for the info Darth!! I still see these warming the pegs at my local targets and wonder if the 3rd and 4th waves were a rumor. I guess only time will tell.

Also, on a side note, if you're a lead, maybe you can answer me: will you folks be carrying the Hulk Classics line anymore? I haven't seen anything for months and i still need absorbing man. If you have any info/dirt, pleaes drop me a PM as i'm hella curious. Thanks, i appreciate it!

[DarthChuckMc]

As far as I know, the Marvel stuff is stil coming. I have 2 cases worth in back stock right now, that came in Monday night. No Absorbing Man, but there is a Smart Hulk, David Banner/Hulk 2 pack, some robot looking Hulk, and a few Wolverines.

They don't scan DISCO yet, so they may be around for a while. It took forever for those to come in at my store, but only because there were still Hulk Movie figures warming the pegs for so long.

On a side note, for all you people wondering about Target's restocking:

Nothing can be ordered. We don't ORDER cases of ANYTHING. Everything in the store (except for Grocery in Super Target) is AUTO-REPLINISHED. Once so many go through the check lanes, another case is requested via computer, and the DC sends it out within a few days to the stores (IF the items are in the DC).

Stores that aren't getting ANYTHING (Star Wars or otherwise), probably aren't doing RESEARCH every week, and correcting their on hand counts. If the counts are off, they'll never get anything.

An example: The Waterford Lakes store, near UCF here in Orlando, supposedly had 219 (Yes, 219!!) Collection 2 figures on hand back in February. I checked our Merchandise Locate (which can be done at any register, you just need the DPCI), and it said that they had that many on hand. Of course, they didn't REALLY have that many, but the system showed that they did. This could have been a mistake while doing research, and mistakenly keying in 219 instead of 21, or 19....or, the DC shipped a case of paper towels, that had the wrong label on the box (called a MISPICK), and this threw the counts off.

Anyway, I called the store, and told the Team Lead, he may want to double check his counts. He did correct them, and ever since, that store has pretty consistantly received cases of figures every other week, depending on sales of course

As long as the figures are being bought, and the count gets down to the minimum allowed on-hand, another case will come in...and the cycle repeats.

There isn't much YOU as GUEST's can really do, other than the occasional, "Hi, did you know you haven't had any new action figures in 4 months?" comment. You could ask to speak with the Hardlines Exec. Let him/her know, that you frequent the store, how much you love shopping there, but can never find any new toys, because they haven't had any in 4 months. Tell them you started going to Wal*Mart and TRU instead. They may take it seriously, and have the TL check the counts. They may even goes as far as send an internal email up to Target E-support. If enough people go in there, and say "What the F..?" they'll probably be more apt to help solve the problem.

Some stores are lower volume than others, too. They don't get replinshed as fast, or even receive as much as higher volume stores do. You may just be outta luck in some cases.

Any other ???s....IM me * darthchuckmc on msn messenger or chuckmc72 on yahoo messenger

[Kidhuman]

Howdy Chuck. NO biggie on the animated figures as mostly Dooku and Mace are left hanging around. Let us know when the oTC stuff hits though.

[B'Omarr Monkey]

Thanks for the enlightenment on how restocking is done, Darth.

I suspect that the third and fourth wave of the Clone Wars toys will not be released until close to the DVD release date, or at least Xmas. My suspicion is, that if these do exist, they were probably already made when the first waves were, but may have been held back for release until later to give Hasbro some extra time to focus on the Ep. 3 stuff. This way they have already made action figures to tie into a forthcoming Ep. 3 lead-in, hopefully generating excitement for the new movie + the toys.

[Darth Alex]

Thanks for the info. You're right, DarthChuckMc, mentioning that a particular store hasn't gotten anything new in for months does seem to move things along. In Walmart's case, following up on no new stock seems to really help.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

Well, I wonder if series 3 and 4 are being put on hold until March 2005, when the next season of Clone Wars starts. HOpefully that's the case, since it makes the most sense.

Why, though, did they expand the LOTR section to where the Ultra used to be if they're gonna have all this new space for the OTC? Maybe they're going to use endcaps?

[sith_killer_99]

Well, the only CW Cartoon figs I see warming pegs are endless Dooku's and a few Durge's, oh sure every now and then an Obi-Wan or something, but for the most part these did pretty well, out here at least.

Well, I wonder if series 3 and 4 are being put on hold until March 2005, when the next season of Clone Wars starts. HOpefully that's the case, since it makes the most sense.

I gotta agree, this seems to make the most sense.

[OC47150]

If that is the case, it would make sense for another store to pick up the series, if Hasbro is truly going to be make series 3.

But I'll take a wait-and-see attitude in the meantime.

[mastermatt24]

I get disapointed about the re-ordering thing at target. My brother works there and tells me all about it.... Anyways, even if they made a third wave what would be in it??? I can only think of four things,an ARC Trooper, maybe a deluxe "thing" on speeder bike (the cone head IG-88 looking droids that fight with durge ), Padme and a Banking Clan dude. What do you guys think would be in it if they made a third line?