Quote:
Originally Posted by pandaprime
TRU Canada needs to maintain stock levels or improve them to continue staying in business. Customers cannot buy product that's not available on the shelf. Seems like only LEGO really gets that aspect. I keep hearing LEGO sells really well in TRU but rarely see non-full shelves of their items.
I try to remain hopeful TRU Canada can be saved by someone with deep pockets eh
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Honestly, I don't see a stocking problem, I see a clutter problem. Hasbro needs to stop sticking shit toys onto the market at shit prices.
Those Crash Combiners are pretty fun and would make excellent allowance toys for kids, but they are 25$ a pop and what the hell plastic levels are in these things to justify that MSRP? I honestly haven't picked any up because they seem to be too pricey for what you are actually getting.
If they were 10 or 12$ items they'd move faster and wouldn't hang around so often because kids could actually afford it with their allowances, or gift money, as I mentioned.
Another thing, Movie toys, they are priced higher than anything else for what you're getting and just are NOT moveing. I seriously won't touch those figures and I can't imagine a lot of parents have been buying them at full retail.
Then you've got your plethora of kiddie crap in the Marvel section that... while it might be selling, there is just TOO much product at any given time. Make a dedicated Marvel Franchise theme, stick your movie products into it and refresh the packaging every few months when the next film hits and you would probably see a better turnover rate on those figures.
Stop diversifying so much, that's why TRU stock seems to always be the same, because it's always the same junk that isn't selling while stuff like Black Series or Marvel Legends will move out pretty quickly most figures leaving only the uninspired crap that nobody wants.
TRU has no real problem getting stock in, it's just the stuff that sells out so fast leaving behind the left overs and them taking longer than Wal-Mart to clearing out those unsellable items because, well two reasons really.
1) The not-having unsightly empty shelf policy.
2) This in turn leads to the lack of clearance out of such products because of the 'we have the space and don't really need to push it out for new stuff' mentality because they are a dedicated toy seller and keeping older stock around looks good on paper.
As far as LEGO is concerned, I can believe it. They consistently have 25+% off sales, keep stock far longer than Wal-Mart so you're always guaranteed the big ticket Marvel, Star Wars, NINJAGO, City or what-have-you LEGO product theme you're looking for, and they are often having great deals on spend so much get this item free, which is part of working so closely with LEGO.
They have an entire month dedicated to this, it's called Bricktober and they often make huge profits based on it alone seeing as how there's always huge lines and people going for the LEGO products.
I firmly believe TRU in Canada could outlast this tough time, they would only need to make a few changes and incorporate some more modern selling techniques and they could keep going strong as a brand without issue. Hell if all of the stores in the States closed we'd have cross-boarder shoppers coming to OUR Toy's-R-Us stores to get the big ticket items, especially if Hasbro sold exclusives through TRU Canada.
If I had the capital I might go in on such an investment with like-minded folks. The toy industry may be showing its age, but that doesn't mean it's going to die out. Physical products of some sort are still pretty big in a kids eyes, and Toy's-R-Us is one of the only stops to make for some of these items.
Granted it might not be around forever, but it certainly should still be around in the rest of my lifetime. Unless something threatens the toy industry just as the video game market was threatened back in the day, but then that thing is still around and going pretty strongly, so... yeah.
