Is Hasbro Okay?

[canprime]

Originally Posted by ssjgoku22

Just read this:

Hasbro?s holiday sales tank

It wasn't a good year for most of the bigger manufacturers. Hasbro had it the worst by a large margin, but Mattel was not a shining beacon either.



Hasbro:


https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...ancial-Results


Mattel:



https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...ancial-Results


Mattel was mostly down over 2023 but the 4th quarter definitely turned the ship around and that probably had more to do with the performance of the Barbie movie and merchandising. It would have looked much worse without that 4th quarter.



Part of what killed Hasbro this year was the sale of E-One for a massive loss (over $1 billion). Along with way too much stock. From recent reports it sounds like Hasbro is going to be cutting even further through 2024 into 2025. However in their report it looks like there was growth from in house brands (TF and JOE were mentioned). So that is probably good news for us as collectors. Though maybe not for the Star Wars and Marvel fans. And they are now turned around on the switch away from being an "entertainment" company back to a toy (and possibly licensing) company.

[CobraCommander]

Hasbro has gotten to big for it's britches, swallowing up smaller toy companies over the years, devoid of any real competition resulting in a lack of creativity, lack in taking chances on new IPs in the toy space. Also doesn't help that kids are glued to their phone/pads.

Fortunately 3P and Indy toy devs have taken up the slack, but at a price.

[pandaprime]

Fixing distribution would be a move towards being okay.

[ManitobaMando]

Originally Posted by xueyue2

That's fine, I collected enough almost done with my collection, also thanks to Hasbro's high price tag pushed me out.

So now-a-days, 3P figures are my most purchase target anyway.

I cant agree more to this. As it is, the constant price increases and seemingly lack of imagination, repaints, small retools that don't justify the cost, and re-branding of the same molds do nothing for me personally, and Ill gladly play a little extra for a 3rd or 4th party offering when the imagination and heart is put into it.

[Skorpulator]

I wouldn't mind a long break from Hasbro Transformers, 3rd party offerings would keep coming anyway.

[RNSrobot]

Couple things that stood out to me:

"“I don’t see a financially constrained consumer,” Foreman said, “Airplanes are full, restaurants are full, the bowling alley is full. People are just spending less on toys.”"

everything costs more... it's what people are "valuing." Transformers are so much now. A leader class is same price as a new video game. 80 bucks for a video game is steep, but boy, that's a lot more bang for your buck.

"Privately held MGA Entertainment, maker of LOL Surprise, Little Tikes and Bratz dolls, says it expects to grow by up to 80% in 2024."

I'm speaking anecdotally, but this doesn't surprise me. As a father of tweens, I've seen LOL, and smaller things like Shopkins and the like, explode and take over the toy aisles.

Kids can get some fun toys for 10-20 bucks still, if they're looking in those areas (not sure what's similar for boys? Hot Wheels?). Grandpraents and family looking for a gift are going that way.

What kid is spending forty bucks plus tax on a deluxe class Transformer, especially one that isn't Optimus or Bumblebee? WHy are cyberverse toys also so expensive? TFs just aren't pocket change or quick easy gifts. None of the real action figure lines are.

*shrug*

[canprime]

Originally Posted by RNSrobot

Couple things that stood out to me:

"?I don?t see a financially constrained consumer,? Foreman said, ?Airplanes are full, restaurants are full, the bowling alley is full. People are just spending less on toys.?"

everything costs more... it's what people are "valuing." Transformers are so much now. A leader class is same price as a new video game. 80 bucks for a video game is steep, but boy, that's a lot more bang for your buck.

"Privately held MGA Entertainment, maker of LOL Surprise, Little Tikes and Bratz dolls, says it expects to grow by up to 80% in 2024."

I'm speaking anecdotally, but this doesn't surprise me. As a father of tweens, I've seen LOL, and smaller things like Shopkins and the like, explode and take over the toy aisles.

Kids can get some fun toys for 10-20 bucks still, if they're looking in those areas (not sure what's similar for boys? Hot Wheels?). Grandpraents and family looking for a gift are going that way.

What kid is spending forty bucks plus tax on a deluxe class Transformer, especially one that isn't Optimus or Bumblebee? WHy are cyberverse toys also so expensive? TFs just aren't pocket change or quick easy gifts. None of the real action figure lines are.

*shrug*

And yet TFs were one of the brands mentioned in Hasbro's report as being a bright spot for them.


LOL and such is geared to a younger age. Action figures have slowly switched from being for younger boys to collectors. As such, like you said, they have gotten way more expensive than they should have over the years. There is still cheap stuff, like those Titan 10"-12" basic figures you see from a lot of boys lines.


However like you said kids see more value in devices/games than physical play toys. There will always be a need for physical toys, but it seems like younger and younger kids are jumping ship to devices.



Even my youngest son (4 going on 5 this year) doesn't play anywhere near as much with physical toys as with a tablet. We have to almost make him play with the toys because he would rather go to the tablet when he can.


I don't envy the toy manufacturers.

[Jonnydark]

"You have to use your hands? That's a baby's toy."