QUESTIONS FOR HASBRO at Conventions

[JediTricks]

Is Hasbro aware that many TVC figures are still not ringing up at the registers at some Walmart stores?

I picked up a Wedge Antilles when I was at Walmart and a friend of mine bought Nom Anor and Aayla Secura. The store's computer didn't recognize any of the figures. Fortunately I had two 2011 R5-D4s with me that the cashier was able to use to ring everything up. However, that store's computer now thinks it sold 5 R5-D4 figures even though there were only two in stock. That has to cause some problems somewhere.

I just find it a little bothersome that we're now 6 months into 2012 and Walmart's computers still don't recognize the new merchandise.

At the beginning of the year, when the Deleted Scene wave first showed up, we had the same problem and I used an old Qui-Gonn figure to let the cashier ring up the new figures. So, that store reported selling 5 Qui-Gonn figures in one night, even though there was only one Qui-Gonn in stock (it listed each figure as Qui-Gonn Jinn on the receipt) and that Qui-Gonn went right back onto the shelf when I was done buying the new figures.

I understand that Hasbro is going to say that this is an internal issue at Walmart that they have no control over, but it seems to be artificially inflating the sales numbers of figures that aren't actually selling well.

You nearly lost me there, at first I was like "why is this a question for Hasbro, and not WM?" but then I got there.

[El Chuxter]

It might not be a bad idea to mention that some WM stores simply won't sell an item that's not in the system, which is hugely frustrating for collectors who think they finally found something after a 6-month drought.

[JediTricks]

It might not be a bad idea to mention that some WM stores simply won't sell an item that's not in the system, which is hugely frustrating for collectors who think they finally found something after a 6-month drought.

That's a store policy issue though, and not tied to distribution problems, it's not something Hasbro has control over. I'll consider it though as a side statement perhaps.

[El Chuxter]

Yeah, I meant that if the issue is coming from Hasbro's end, or complete laziness at the WM corporate level, it's something they can't control but can p*** off people.

[bigbarada]

This question is for you, JT, does Hasbro keep track of how well each individual figure sells? For instance with the most recent wave, do they know how well Nikto is selling compared to Tarkin and how well Starkiller is selling compared to Shae Vizla? Or do they just know that X number of figures sold from a case of 12 in wave 5, compared to X number of figures in wave 4?

[JediTricks]

This question is for you, JT, does Hasbro keep track of how well each individual figure sells? For instance with the most recent wave, do they know how well Nikto is selling compared to Tarkin and how well Starkiller is selling compared to Shae Vizla? Or do they just know that X number of figures sold from a case of 12 in wave 5, compared to X number of figures in wave 4?

This is not something they've clearly discussed, they've hinted at it, but never said it outright (they are a bit cagey about hard numbers and even rough percentages of what they produce). I would think they would track their retailer orders shipped, but not consistently track what percentage of those sold for full retail. They said in a press release many years ago they had added a system to do exactly that to their market-tracking side of things, but since then they've said contradictory things about it. I would go on the assumption that they keep track of how many units they sell to retailers and probably have some idea of how consumers are buying them.

Another thing, they seem to have a notable understanding of what moves and what doesn't, so I think it's fair to assume they generally have data of specific sales, not just cases.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

Do you know which questions you're going to ask in your few minutes of allotted time? I'll (hopefully) be able to follow up on stuff or ask other questions at CVI if they're able to talk with the fans more casually like they did at CV.

[JediTricks]

Do you know which questions you're going to ask in your few minutes of allotted time? I'll (hopefully) be able to follow up on stuff or ask other questions at CVI if they're able to talk with the fans more casually like they did at CV.

I am working on it now, but you'll have a better idea after the show - they may answer some of the questions during the panel, or I may not to get to ask all of these. But it's definitely good thinking.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

What's with the move these last two years to have ginormous exclusives at Comic-Con? Previous conventions have had basic figures, small vehicles, and things like that, but now with 2011's Death Star and 2012's carbonite set, we've moved into expensive multi-figure sets that are cool but (presumably) difficult to get home from the convention.

Also, just why the heck isn't there a CVI exclusive? They could have re-released the carbonite set, or finally released the Vader funeral pyre. Apparently Jocasta had something to do with it, but I want to know more.

[El Chuxter]

What's with the move these last two years to have ginormous exclusives at Comic-Con? Previous conventions have had basic figures, small vehicles, and things like that, but now with 2011's Death Star and 2012's carbonite set, we've moved into expensive multi-figure sets that are cool but (presumably) difficult to get home from the convention.

Dude, you are clearly unaware of the SHIELD Super-Helicarrier. I have rarely pitied anyone as I pitied those poor souls who got that and didn't have somewhere to store it during the rest of the convention. That sucker looked like it would dwarf the BAT-AT.