Combiner Wars Devastator Costco news

[Buhawi]

Originally Posted by Einstein

Costco's Mark up is between 8 and 14%, on items like this it's closer to 8%.

I was only giving my best estimate on the date, I can guarantee that Costco will have this before October, whoever was told that it simply isn't true. Those warehouses already have him on Order. That generally means product will be in the depot within a week or two and in warehouse shortly after.

Mark my words, he'll be in stores before the end of August for sure.

Let me elaborate a bit more on pricing. For those of you who have memberships, you know Metroplex was cleared out at a much lower price than he started at. When items are marked down like that it is because the company who makes it (in this case Hasbro) has agreed to give Costco a rebate on the item so we can sell it out instead of return it for a refund. Our mark up doesn't change from how I understand it. So with Devastator being 139.99 our mark up is between 10 and 20 dollars give or take. If it gets marked down to say 69.97 then our margin is only say 5-9 dollars, give or take. Does that help?

Helps a lot! Thanks!

That comment on that was more like my disappointment on Bday Devi. Or in this case no Bday Devi...

Yeah. .88 .00 are manager mark downs and .97 is manufacturer rebate.

[ccsquinty]

Originally Posted by CAF

I'm assuming you work with Costco? Is there a way a guy can walk into a local Costco and get one through customer service?

If you know somebody with a membership, get them to help buy you a Costco gift card... Then you can use the gift card and shop at Costco without membership

[Robimus]

Originally Posted by Einstein

Would be a good idea, but they won't care.

But they should care.

By doing this they are basically encouraging people in every province/market they skip to not shop in their stores.

I get that they may have to have limited distribution based on how much product they could acquire to sell. But flat out skipping major population centers, while stocking three stores within 20 minutes of each other somewhere else seems really foolish.

Someone already mentioned how Costco had the Metroplex's for $80 and then dropped the price to $50 to clear them out. If they just spread those around a little more they likely could have sold them all with no need for a clearance.

They already have distribution channels moving tons of product around anyway so it isn't like it would cost them anything more to stock a wider group of stores.

I have forwarded an email to Costco regarding this. I will share the response with everyone when I receive it.

[Hellboy]

I'm going to say Costco has a business model that works for them. For Metroplex they probably buy the minimum units required for the best unit price that will give them a worthwhile return for the effort. If they sent 10 units to 100 stores that's more work on their part if they believe they can sell 50 units at 20 stores located in prime markets. If those units don't sell it costs them nothing to reduce the price to just above cost and clear them out instead of repacking and redistributing them. It's not about fair. It's about what is worth the investment.

[CanBot]

So I'm in Costco tonight...see a few toys already for Christmas season, but not many. If they're aiming for lower priced toys this year, wait till you see the Frozen Ice Palace...it's like $200! And I'm sure lots of fans of that movie (I can't even say little girls anymore, with the sheer amount of boys I know who love that movie) will be begging for that.

And yet no Devastator for me...this is...not. Quite. Right.

I'll write a letter afterwards. Enough complaints might make them think twice next time. Or...I have my secret hope that Einstein in fact works for Apple Autoglass and is making all this stuff up

...a man can dream!

[Buhawi]

Originally Posted by Hellboy

I'm going to say Costco has a business model that works for them. For Metroplex they probably buy the minimum units required for the best unit price that will give them a worthwhile return for the effort. If they sent 10 units to 100 stores that's more work on their part if they believe they can sell 50 units at 20 stores located in prime markets. If those units don't sell it costs them nothing to reduce the price to just above cost and clear them out instead of repacking and redistributing them. It's not about fair. It's about what is worth the investment.

I called a Costco which was not listed a Devi recipient the other day.

I was told that items like Devastator and metroplex are holiday items and stock could change after the first line of distribution are delivered.

Yeah I hate Costco Laval that much. I want my local one to get it. I hope they do.

[Robimus]

Originally Posted by Hellboy

I'm going to say Costco has a business model that works for them. For Metroplex they probably buy the minimum units required for the best unit price that will give them a worthwhile return for the effort. If they sent 10 units to 100 stores that's more work on their part if they believe they can sell 50 units at 20 stores located in prime markets. If those units don't sell it costs them nothing to reduce the price to just above cost and clear them out instead of repacking and redistributing them. It's not about fair. It's about what is worth the investment.

It wouldn't take 100 stores to make their distribution better though - it might take 10 more stores. One store in Winnipeg, one store or two stores in Vancouver, so on.

I mentioned nothing about repacking and redistributing, just distributing better in the first place. If they can afford to send them to Saskatoon and St. John's, they can likely also afford other major Canadian markets.

[Einstein]

Originally Posted by Robimus

It wouldn't take 100 stores to make their distribution better though - it might take 10 more stores. One store in Winnipeg, one store or two stores in Vancouver, so on.

I mentioned nothing about repacking and redistributing, just distributing better in the first place. If they can afford to send them to Saskatoon and St. John's, they can likely also afford other major Canadian markets.

And let me explain you don't understand how Costco's business model works. You are assuming, based on no knowledge of Costco's sales that Winnipeg is a major market. It's not one of the best performing stores when you compare it to Alberta and Saskatchewan or especially Ontario or Quebec.

You are also assuming Transformers are a major seller in toys. You are making a lot of assumptions with no knowledge of the subject.

I did ask the manager of my warehouse today how Costco decides where to send product when it is a new item. Devastator is listed in our system as a TEST item, it even says that when I look it up. That means selected stores where COSTCO believes it will sell best have been chosen. Given this is a seasonal item it is very likely other Costco's will NOT get it.

You have to understand St.John's, EVERY Alberta Costco, several in Ontario and Quebec are the highest grossing Costco stores and Transformers simply aren't huge sellers.

I'm sorry if that isn't what you want to hear, but that's how they do business, you're email won't get you Devastator in your local Costco. If you get 1000 people to request it at your local one, then maybe.

[Chigimus]

Originally Posted by Einstein

I'm sorry if that isn't what you want to hear, but that's how they do business, you're email won't get you Devastator in your local Costco. If you get 1000 people to request it at your local one, then maybe.

Even with that being said, that's still a very big "IF". Most companies are not going to make the concession on a business decision for a one-time chance just because they receive thousands of requests. How are they going to confirm that it's not just a few group of individuals who have taken the time to create hundreds of mock accounts to send the same request? It's hard to prove and they're certainly not going to invest time and money to prove or disprove that. There's also the very real chance that not everyone who e-mails them to make such a request will follow through with their supposed intent. The only way they could turnover such a decision is if they forced everyone to agree to pre-order it with a deposit receipt in full in advance, and even then, it's hard to fill an order with the distributors after the initial wave of orders have already been submitted.

[Einstein]

Originally Posted by Chigimus

Even with that being said, that's still a very big "IF". Most companies are not going to make the concession on a business decision for a one-time chance just because they receive thousands of requests. How are they going to confirm that it's not just a few group of individuals who have taken the time to create hundreds of mock accounts to send the same request? It's hard to prove and they're certainly not going to invest time and money to prove or disprove that. There's also the very real chance that not everyone who e-mails them to make such a request will follow through with their supposed intent. The only way they could turnover such a decision is if they forced everyone to agree to pre-order it with a deposit receipt in full in advance, and even then, it's hard to fill an order with the distributors after the initial wave of orders have already been submitted.

My example of a 1000 emails was merely to show it wasn't likely at all.