ToysRUs.ca Transformers Sightings and discussion

[Gaming Turtle]

Originally Posted by joshimus

I'm finding it really easy to pass up on new toys considering the prices everywhere is stupidly insane. I grabbed Blaster from Eb the other day, still around 50.00 but honestly considering returning it. I cant justify these prices, no matter the retailer.

Thats where I am right now. I payed $30 taxes in, at Walmart and still returned Legacy Arcee. I grabbed a few Marvel Legends figures (Also suffering the price increases) but found the only way I could justify it was trade ins at Gamestop. (Turned $50 in Just Dance 2022 copies from Costco to about $120 store credit).

I had Blaster in hand at my local Walmart but at 47.99 plus tax I couldn't justify it. Even the 40.80 plus tax at Gamestop (Onyx discount) through the website is a tough call.

*Note, NB tax is 15% so any voyager without that Gamestop discount is $55 or higher. Toysrus latest price of 54.99 would be 63.23 after tax. That is almost $30 higher then Primal when the first Kingdom wave came out at Walmarts.

[RNSrobot]

Originally Posted by ssjgoku22

And without us, that store would be in shambles. Collector's are one of the biggest reasons why TRU is staying afloat.

Proof?

[canprime]

Originally Posted by Dark Rage

Here's the article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...n-investments/

I don't think the traffic and sales of the company has been the same since the new owner took over, but hey, I could be wrong.

If TRU and another merchant sold the exact same item, but TRU has a higher price, where would you think a savvy consumer would go to? I'm not talking about impulse buys, but researched bigger item purchases.

Thanks Dark Rage.

Yeah he is going to be able to ride out some tough times longer than most private funds would be willing to after this type of purchase.

The question for me is how long will he last in this new marketplace when he doesn't own the properties TRU sits on, and pricing/inflation is making this type of store less viable?

But what do I know when he states he is trying to start up a nation wide toy store chain in the US?

[MapleMegatron]

I just had to take this pic when I visited today



By the way, I know we pile on TRU for their terrible TF prices but something is amiss because they don't have that same premium on other brands.

Mcfarlane: Same prices as elsewhere
Lego: Same prices as elsehwere
Hasbro: 28% markup from elsewhere.

So it's not just TRU itself but their interaction/contracts with Hasbro.

[ssjgoku22]

Originally Posted by RNSrobot

Proof?

Remove basically the majority of the Hasbro items plus that whole premium collection section that they have at front and what do they have? Basically just Babies'r'us. May as well throw in lego as a collector's item since those really high priced sets are only purchased by adults.

Regardless, why would you need proof, this is obvious.

[RNSrobot]

Originally Posted by ssjgoku22

Remove basically the majority of the Hasbro items plus that whole premium collection section that they have at front and what do they have? Basically just Babies'r'us. May as well throw in lego as a collector's item since those really high priced sets are only purchased by adults.

Regardless, why would you need proof, this is obvious.

I think you wildly overestimate the value of adult collectors to TRU, and wildly underestimate the value of babies r us. There was a period a decade+ ago where the only reason TRU was kept afloat was babies r us.

[RNSrobot]

Originally Posted by MapleMegatron

I just had to take this pic when I visited today



By the way, I know we pile on TRU for their terrible TF prices but something is amiss because they don't have that same premium on other brands.

Mcfarlane: Same prices as elsewhere
Lego: Same prices as elsehwere
Hasbro: 28% markup from elsewhere.

So it's not just TRU itself but their interaction/contracts with Hasbro.

That book section is awesome. TRU's biggest sales are more than likely babies r us and littler kids rather than older collectors, and it's clear that action figures are less appealing to preteens/tweens. It's cute. and a good place to be when mom/dad is changing baby or bored while shopping for a new crib/carseat/etc.

Lego is actually more expensive, but it's not like hasbro. If you look the majority of sets are 1-3 dollars more. A 39.99 set anywhere else is 40.99 at TRU and so forth. But obviously LEGO has smaller sets for kids to buy quickly, larger sets for bday presents. TRU has the giant collector's sets but that's a small part of their LEGO section.

I agree something is amiss. A friend pointed out that other toy companies, like Mattel, have not jacked their prices up to the same level as Hasbro even post-pandemic. Have prices gone up? Sure. But not to the same extent. It's a Hasbro thing. And then as you note, it's verrrrrry strange (and shitty) that Hasbro products at TRU cost significantly more than elsewhere.

Who knows.

TRU Canada is probably wise to pivot towards catering more and more to baby stuff and smaller children. But it sure sucks they have to be such dicks about it with the other stuff.

[Napseeker]

Someone more knowledgeable can correct me, but in order to get the best wholesale price from Hasbro, a retailer should have an account with Hasbro Canada. But that then entails that the retailer has to order a certain minimum quantity of Hasbro stuff each month.


Could it be that TRU no longer has an account with Hasbro because they're not buying the necessary minimum any more? They would then have to go through some middleman like Everest to get their Hasbro product, which means a higher wholesale price which leads to a higher retail price.


Just a theory... it could still just be greed / price gouging or some mix of all of it.

[RNSrobot]

Originally Posted by Napseeker

Someone more knowledgeable can correct me, but in order to get the best wholesale price from Hasbro, a retailer should have an account with Hasbro Canada. But that then entails that the retailer has to order a certain minimum quantity of Hasbro stuff each month.


Could it be that TRU no longer has an account with Hasbro because they're not buying the necessary minimum any more? They would then have to go through some middleman like Everest to get their Hasbro product, which means a higher wholesale price which leads to a higher retail price.


Just a theory... it could still just be greed / price gouging or some mix of all of it.

Man, I'd love to get some input on that. It's a weird theory but it has legitimate possibility. We've all seen how piss-poor the TF distribution has been. I'm not as in tune with Star Wars/Marvel, so I couldn't say there.

I mean christ, in the lower mainland, it doesn't matter which TRU. They are still hanging onto SS Demolishors and a couple other old shitty toys nobody wants. They barely stocked Kingdom. We'll see what happens with Legacy. They're certainly not getting the stock they once did.

[ssjgoku22]

Originally Posted by RNSrobot

I think you wildly overestimate the value of adult collectors to TRU, and wildly underestimate the value of babies r us. There was a period a decade+ ago where the only reason TRU was kept afloat was babies r us.

But that's kind of it exactly. The stores main revenue mostly comes from Babies'r'us (which is why I mentioned it) and the action figures. Take one out at TRU's current economic position, and I don't think they'll last.