TF shortage at retail... why?

[chovner]

Does anyone know why it seems like Walmart and TRU are discontinuing carrying TFs? Every time I go there the displays shrink more and more, giving up room to Angry Birds, Marvel, and DC toys. Is there some sort of hold on distribution that anyone knows about?
I've got all these Kellogs $10 off coupons that are doing me no good since there's nothing in store for me to buy (my wife, and kids go through cereal like mad, so it's not like I bought the cereals just for the coupon, I would have had to buy anyways, but still)

[Bruticus82]

January is traditionally a pretty bad time for TFs, but it does hurt particularly this year, given that most people have been searching for new figures (e.g. Prime Deluxes) for months without seeing any at mass market retail.

[pandaprime]

just the usual January (post x-mas) situation.

Could be that after (supposedly) stocking more toys than usual the past couple of months stores order less in the next couple of months to balance out purchasing for the year...

Could be that historically after customers buy toys in large quantities for xmas season they probably buy less early in the new year so that's why stores reduce stock level accordingly...

[Undrave]

Originally Posted by Bruticus82

January is traditionally a pretty bad time for TFs, but it does hurt particularly this year, given that most people have been searching for new figures (e.g. Prime Deluxes) for months without seeing any at mass market retail.

The whole year was like January

[Oreobuilder]

Originally Posted by Undrave

The whole year was like January

Blame the glut of DoTM product and the never ending yellow wall of shame for all our woes.

OB

[rego00123]

walmart is about cashing in on current hot properties anymore. its the same in the states...i rarely even bother with them due to this

hopefully when you guys get targets up here you want have to wonder where all the TF's are going, because you will know

[Knockout]

Let me tell you about January. IT SUCKS FOR EVERYTHING. Jobs ( I work in print, papers are small) and even retail itself. (I worked in that too, hours were cut all the time, always sale, always lack of stock.) It's a sale month, TF's will come back as they get stock in again. Don't panic yet. If nothing changes in Feb, then panic. Most new stock starts coming in in Feb. And starting Dec 31st, stores like Target, Walmart etc etc will be doing their SPRING reset. So there will be an influx of stock.

[Undrave]

Originally Posted by Oreobuilder

Blame the glut of DoTM product and the never ending yellow wall of shame for all our woes.

OB

Oh I do, believe me I do! <<Seriously that emoticon should be changed to feature a yellow brick wall instead of red.

[Team Jetfire]

Hopefully this will mean the end of the DOTM toys though...

[razin]

I'm just glad I live near the border. Almost all my purchases this year were in MI. Sure we could order online, but for things that are supposed to be mass retail, you will end up paying more then you really should for dinky deluxes. (most of the time).

It will be interesting to see how Target in Canada handles the stock of TF's. There is no guarantee things will be any better when they arrive. Walmart is in both countries, yet the US has all waves of Prime, Canada, wave 2. Might just be the same situation with Target.