Walmart hit with $10000 fine for movie figs

[goosetuber]

Ran into a Hasbro rep on my Joe hunt today.

Apparently the local Walmart had put out the movie figs early.

As a "secret shopper" he nailed them with a violation of street date fine

$10,000

ouch!

Apparently street date round these parts will be strictly enforced until July 10th. Including Toys'r us.

[82joe]

Wha??
Saw ROC figures at Target today

[Irid70]

10 grand isn't even petty cash for Wal-Mart.

[jiffy18]

That's just chunk of change for Walmart !

[tkprime]

A Drop in the bucket, but I wouldn't give anything to be in the employee's shoes when the manager gets the bill.

[The Batman]

Heck, Wal Mart Manager probably walked up to the nearest register, opened it, gave the Hasbro Rep 10,000 and told him to have a nice day!!

I find it really odd that you ran into a Hasbro rep. I won't question how you know or anything but that is kinda impressive that WM got slapped with a fine and you happen to walk into it.

[nic28]

Thats pocket money for walmart

[seanbratton]

As crazy as it sounds, we run into the reps pretty frequently here in town and they will stop and chat with us for a bit. Glad to see someone nailed for not sticking with the street date. The stores should all be on an equal footing if the manufacturer is mandating sales on a particular date and not before.

[MSU44]

Heck, Wal Mart Manager probably walked up to the nearest register, opened it, gave the Hasbro Rep 10,000 and told him to have a nice day!!

I find it really odd that you ran into a Hasbro rep. I won't question how you know or anything but that is kinda impressive that WM got slapped with a fine and you happen to walk into it.

I run into Hasbro reps all the time....heck I have a woman who works for me who is a part-time rep for Hasbro. Reps would definitely be privy to info of stores breaking street dates.

[Barefoot Jedi]

I have a feeling that if Hasbro really attempts to enforce this, Wal-Mart will tell them to stick their fines up Optimus Prime's exhaust pipe as they always have the option of refusing to sell Hasbro products.

I imagine that Wal-Mart deleting Hasbro from their inventory would hurt Hasbro a LOT more than it would hurt Wal-Mart.

[Weezus]

I have a feeling that if Hasbro really attempts to enforce this, Wal-Mart will tell them to stick their fines up Optimus Prime's exhaust pipe as they always have the option of refusing to sell Hasbro products.

I imagine that Wal-Mart deleting Hasbro from their inventory would hurt Hasbro a LOT more than it would hurt Wal-Mart.

smart man here.

[jbowman]

Heck, Wal Mart Manager probably walked up to the nearest register, opened it, gave the Hasbro Rep 10,000 and told him to have a nice day!!

I find it really odd that you ran into a Hasbro rep. I won't question how you know or anything but that is kinda impressive that WM got slapped with a fine and you happen to walk into it.

I see the Hasbro Rep here in Jacksonville, FL almost every other week at either various Targets or Walmarts.. They were a collard shirt with Hasbro on it and they are checking the shelves and doing very minor rearranging of product, not rearranging the pegs or shelf space but making sure a empty space is filled with something type of thing.

[Troynos]

I imagine that Wal-Mart deleting Hasbro from their inventory would hurt Hasbro a LOT more than it would hurt Wal-Mart.

That's the truth. In the retail world Wal-Mart is basically God and can dictate whatever they want.

I bet you that fine won't even get paid and will "go away". It's just a formality so that Hasbro can tell the local Target "we fined 'em for it".

[tkprime]

I use to see reps back when Toys R Us was here (before Katrina). and I'm sure they're around, but man could you imagine the phone call that the store will get from it's home office......Someone's A-- is getting chewed!

But this is a first to hear of one being a secret shopper.

[The Batman]

Wow.. they are in all states. I never see a Rep in Waco and hell I am at the stores almost all the time, I just don't camp out there. Hey if Wal mart did drop Hasbro from their store.. they could have alot more room for CORP figures!! Or they would shrink the toy section 1 full aisle!! Then it would look like a Dollar General toy aisle!!!

[generic trooper]

It may be nothing for Walmart but that store will likely be hit with the fine and it will definitely hurt their profit & loss.

[MSU44]

Wow.. they are in all states. I never see a Rep in Waco and hell I am at the stores almost all the time, I just don't camp out there. Hey if Wal mart did drop Hasbro from their store.. they could have alot more room for CORP figures!! Or they would shrink the toy section 1 full aisle!! Then it would look like a Dollar General toy aisle!!!

Well perhaps the Waco area doesn't get coverage from Hasbro. My company did not cover the Waco area up until about two months ago.
We are a third party merchandising company who represents a manufacturer at retail. I am the District Manager over TX and part of LA (lost the majority of LA and MS when we did a sales team merger :(.) Anyway though not all areas of the country can be or are covered by companies due to sales volume and the amount stores in the area. some these areas get covered just once or twice a quarter or maybe not at all.

[Shin Densetsu]

DAMNNNNNNNNNN..... I thought it would just be a $2,500 fine....holy crap....

[soundwavempl]

I've never run into a Hasbro or Mattel rep when I go toy hunting. Of course, this may be because I am not in a major city or near any Hasbro or Mattel business offices.

So 7/10 is the official date? I got my G.I. Joe Collector's Club newsletter in yesterday and the Club Store will have them available for sale on Monday 7/6. I guess they can sell them online a few days earlier due to the fact it will take 2-5 days for the items to arrive once ordered.

[Tracker]

Did you complain to the rep about walmart not stocking there shelves. To me that's worse violation than the street date issue.

[goosetuber]

Was at TRU in Killeen in the toy aisle and asked the manager bout release date. The lady next to him was a hasbro rep. He confiremed the release date of 7-10 in front of her.
Later we got to talking and he shared the fine story with me and 3 other employees. Don't go to Killeen lookin for movie stuff til the 10th

[novax213]

I highly doubt that a hasbro employee would discuss fines given to stores to customers.

[Dr. Whom]

No means no Walmart

These may be the hottest selling movie toys ever

[The Batman]

Was at TRU in Killeen in the toy aisle and asked the manager bout release date. The lady next to him was a hasbro rep. He confiremed the release date of 7-10 in front of her.
Later we got to talking and he shared the fine story with me and 3 other employees. Don't go to Killeen lookin for movie stuff til the 10th


AH HA! A Killeen man!! Your not too far from me. I guess I won't come over there for a good while then!

[Syn3sthesia]

Ran into a Hasbro rep on my Joe hunt today.

Apparently the local Walmart had put out the movie figs early.

As a "secret shopper" he nailed them with a violation of street date fine

$10,000

ouch!

Apparently street date round these parts will be strictly enforced until July 10th. Including Toys'r us.

F Yeah!

Take that you foking excuse of a store. It's because of you that I'm shaking in my boots because DCU W10 is a Walmart (disaster) exclusive!

[Roshan]

Highly doubtful, Walmart ignores street date for almost everything. Like the former posters said, Walmart would ignore any fine because they don't need Hasbro's business, it's the other way around, and it's also highly unlikely a rep would talk to you about such a matter. If anything, when talking to the TRU manager they could be scaring everyone else into line, because Walmart is the one chain they can't scare into street date enforcement with a fine.
Not being a walmart defender (I hate them), but this is just a flight of fantasy that makes for great forum fodder.

[Blaster'spunchingbagg]

I've met quite a few Hasbro Reps in the L.A. area, when the first Trans movie came out. There was one @the Duarte Walmart stocking the shelves with new movie product, and she had Arcee, you know the purple deluxe class that looks like she had her face blown off, I asked her why Hasbro just can't seem to get her right, or GEN 1 accurate, she say's she wishes they would Arcee's her favorite. We talked a bit about Hasbro presence @ Comic con and I bought 2 Arcee's out of the 8 and went on my way. No point really to this story but I know Hasbro Reps do patrol Walmarts more often than Target or TRU.

[M.E.A.T. VIPER]

Walmart as a chain could care less about the fine but I'm sure the toy manager / stocking crew managers gonna get that ass chewed. Walmart needs Hasbro too, they make a good profits on toys and kill during Xmas and summer with pool/outside items. They do break dates on movies at times and that is a BIG time no , no . Sometimes the manufacturers will break street dates and let retailers release early I have seen it happen when I was TRU and ran the shipping and receiving.

[Hmheggins2000]

There is a walmart here in town who hasen't restocked Joes sence before Christmas for the last 4 months they have only had 2 figures Roadblock & Buzzer. They have comic pack and movie packs but thats all. I think they should be fined for not bringing in any joes this year.

[samantha]

That is just crazy.

[gunslingercbr]

I have a feeling that if Hasbro really attempts to enforce this, Wal-Mart will tell them to stick their fines up Optimus Prime's exhaust pipe as they always have the option of refusing to sell Hasbro products.

I imagine that Wal-Mart deleting Hasbro from their inventory would hurt Hasbro a LOT more than it would hurt Wal-Mart.
no, it would hurt both,. the relationship isn't one way. imagine parents walking into Wal Mart to buy baby toys, board games and the like, and not finding all the major brand names because they are Hasbro's. Wal Mart has to carry all the major toys or else they lose prestige . if consumers started walking in to Wal Mart to find they only carried off brand toys, they'd lose credibility.

[Tracker]

There is a walmart here in town who hasen't restocked Joes sence before Christmas for the last 4 months they have only had 2 figures Roadblock & Buzzer. They have comic pack and movie packs but thats all. I think they should be fined for not bringing in any joes this year.

yea that's my point and I always got the excess form Walmart that what's on the shelve is all they had, but after not stocking of 4 months I find that to be BS. It doesn't make since not to stock a line that sell faster than the other toys in the toy aisle with the exception of wave 7 that is.

[Darth_Risar]

Hasbro actually has a small office near Home Office in Bentonville, if anything Hasbro should tell Wal-Mart to start selling as soon as the product comes off the truck. And lets say Wal-Mart actually racks up say a million dollars in fines, then I am sure either they will end up buying either a million dollars more merchandise from Hasbro or it will the buyers will be told to cut the sales order by a million and maybe even two million to remind them of what they have to lose. In all honesty these street dates are stupid. and I say that as a business major. If you have someone with money in hand that wants to buy your product only a moron would say "okay it is already to sale but I am going to make you wait for two weeks then come back." That is beyond moronic.

[Lody]

WalMart is my company's largest customer. When they say jump you anticipate how long it will take you to get back to the ground, at what speed and the exact height that you will make it to and will give them this information without being asked.

My point?

What Wal Mart says goes. We made a product for them and they didn't like the CAP on the bottle. They made the company re-design it before putting it back on the shelf. It wasn't even Wal Mart's product!

All in all, I think this is a local issue and not Wal Mart as a whole. I have gone to several stores in the last few days and there isn't even a HINT that these toys are coming out yet.

Goose-you failed to mention WHERE you are located and which Wal Mart. How the store is run and how rules etc ar adhered to are very different from store to store as any one of us who frequently hunts for Joes knows this.

[Shogi]

I highly doubt that a hasbro employee would discuss fines given to stores to customers.

You'd be surprised what kind of inside info they'll drop. Last year during the Transformers movie toys "fiasco" (They sold out of the toys quicker than expected and had nothing on the shelves for a while) I was talking with a Hasbro rep and he told me how they were making a few "Air Frieght" shipments from China just to get stuff back on the shelves and how in all his years of working for Hasbro (It was implied that it was a long time) he had never heard of them using air frieght. They always shipped toys over on the boats

[The Batman]

Hey.. Wal Mart said NO to the new Green Day cd, and it still was the top seller the week it came out! So people will go to other places to get what they want... it doesn't have to be Wal Mart... it's just more convienient to go there!

[nerdsgetchicks]

This thread is almost as crazy as my Fake Resolute Snake Eyes thread!

[Lody]

Hey.. Wal Mart said NO to the new Green Day cd, and it still was the top seller the week it came out! So people will go to other places to get what they want... it doesn't have to be Wal Mart... it's just more convienient to go there!

See now I thought that was great on Billy Joe's part. He said they REFUSED to make any changes because they asked for it. I am glad he stuck to his guns. I don't understand their thought process when they release rap albums etc and Rated R movies, but one band wants their CD in their stores ands they are expected to censored.

[bluebikerboy1]

Hasbro actually has a small office near Home Office in Bentonville, if anything Hasbro should tell Wal-Mart to start selling as soon as the product comes off the truck. And lets say Wal-Mart actually racks up say a million dollars in fines, then I am sure either they will end up buying either a million dollars more merchandise from Hasbro or it will the buyers will be told to cut the sales order by a million and maybe even two million to remind them of what they have to lose. In all honesty these street dates are stupid. and I say that as a business major. If you have someone with money in hand that wants to buy your product only a moron would say "okay it is already to sale but I am going to make you wait for two weeks then come back." That is beyond moronic.

true but i think this falls under some kind of fair trade practice. if walmart drops as soon as they get it then all the retailers in the area that havnt gotten there stock loose buisness thus pissing them off. by having a street date it gives enought time for all retailers and mom pop stores to get there stuff so they can release at the same time thus making a profit all around.

[gunslingercbr]

Hey.. Wal Mart said NO to the new Green Day cd, and it still was the top seller the week it came out! So people will go to other places to get what they want... it doesn't have to be Wal Mart... it's just more convienient to go there!

that's not really an issue. Wal Mart accounts for 40% of Hasbro's sales. even if everyone else went elsewhere, it would be hard to sell 40% more to everyone else.

heck, Prince had the number two CD in February and it was only sold at Target -- all that means is that fans of a cd will go wherever a cd is sold to get it, not that Wal Mart is irrelevant. besides, the purchasing behavior of buying a new cd the week of its release doesn't really correlate to the purchasing behavior of daily shopping.

[nerdsgetchicks]

Ran into a Hasbro rep on my Joe hunt today.

Apparently the local Walmart had put out the movie figs early.

As a "secret shopper" he nailed them with a violation of street date fine

$10,000

ouch!

Apparently street date round these parts will be strictly enforced until July 10th. Including Toys'r us.


You ran into a rep and he just blurted this out to you?
what started the conversation? If they are handing out fines then I can also assume they care about the bootlegs and stolen stuff that are being sold on Ebay and here as well.

I would have asked this guy ( who obviously liked to just blurt out all his business ) some other important questions. He probably would have spilled the beans on the whole operation from the sound of it!

[Lody]

true but i think this falls under some kind of fair trade practice. if walmart drops as soon as they get it then all the retailers in the area that havnt gotten there stock loose buisness thus pissing them off. by having a street date it gives enought time for all retailers and mom pop stores to get there stuff so they can release at the same time thus making a profit all around.

Wal Mart pissing off/on competitors?

Say it ain't so!!

[Lody]

WalMart's competitors have been complaining about Wal Mart's prices being so low that they can not compete for years now haven't they?

[SNAKE EYES]

Was at TRU in Killeen in the toy aisle and asked the manager bout release date. The lady next to him was a hasbro rep. He confiremed the release date of 7-10 in front of her.
Later we got to talking and he shared the fine story with me and 3 other employees. Don't go to Killeen lookin for movie stuff til the 10th


Goose-you failed to mention WHERE you are located and which Wal Mart. How the store is run and how rules etc ar adhered to are very different from store to store as any one of us who frequently hunts for Joes knows this.

He did read the post I quoted above yours.

[samantha]

I understand the release date rules but that doesn't mean I have to like them. :)

[Lody]

Missed that

What state?

[minstrelboy]

I just picked up all 4 wave 1 ROC Alpha vehicles at Target today - everything else was cleared for a reset in the Joe location except for two of each of these and the ROC Combat Heroes. Then I went to TRU and saw the PIT, so I went to buy it, but they cashier said it couldn't be sold until tomorrow - so she said she could hold it for me.

[minstrelboy]

Missed that

What state?

Killeen is in Texas - I used to live there when I was in the Army.

[samantha]

I want the Pitt. I know it isn't perfect but I can spruce it up and make it work for me. Please can any one confirm that while the front end display will not be up TRU will still be selling the ROC toys on Saturday the 4th? :)

[Lody]

OK-so let me ask this-

What are the chances a Hasbro rep would be in TX? It seems like EVERYONE from TX complains about the lack of product for months on end there. They finally get something and get banged for it

[Lody]

I just picked up all 4 wave 1 ROC Alpha vehicles at Target today - everything else was cleared for a reset in the Joe location except for two of each of these and the ROC Combat Heroes. Then I went to TRU and saw the PIT, so I went to buy it, but they cashier said it couldn't be sold until tomorrow - so she said she could hold it for me.

Did you take a close look at it? Any better in person that from the pics we've seen?

[Lody]

I want the Pitt. I know it isn't perfect but I can spruce it up and make it work for me. Please can any one confirm that while the front end display will not be up TRU will still be selling the ROC toys on Saturday the 4th? :)

Doesn't look to be. Everywhere I went they still had the TF display. It didn't even look like they were prepping.

[deadman69]

Targets web site in this area says the movie stuff is already available in stores, so I went, they already have an end cap set up with prices and a sweepstakes for a brief case code. The figures are going to be 7.99 at Target and I know for a fact that they have the figures there already, I took the scan bar from my storm shadow I got off Ebay and scanned it, it says they have them in their stockroom. I went and got a stockguy and he said well we probably wont put them out until the end of the month or begining of next month before the movie comes out. Then why does the web site say available? I guess they dont want to get fined , but I wasted a trip, and is anyone positive that tru is putting theirs out tomorrow or will I be wasting my time again?

[samantha]

Did you take a close look at it? Any better in person that from the pics we've seen?

I am really crossing my fingers on this one. I want it to be better than I it looks. I am still buying one but I want it to look nice.

[bluebikerboy1]

Wal Mart pissing off/on competitors?

Say it ain't so!!

pissed off with hasbro not walmart.

[sonofdestro]

I just do not understand the whole street date thing. It seems like a company that invested all that time and money into producing a product would want to start selling it as soon as possible in order to recoup some of that money.

[lister]

I just do not understand the whole street date thing. It seems like a company that invested all that time and money into producing a product would want to start selling it as soon as possible in order to recoup some of that money.

Street dates weren't put in place for the manufacturers, but for the retailers. It's to level the playing field so a store that gets their stock on a new item in on a Friday can't start selling it before a store that doesn't get theirs until Monday. I believe it started with the record industry. A decision was made to make an across-the-board street date for record releases, usually a Tuesday, to make it fair for everyone.

[Troynos]

Right. So that competition is fair across the board.

[speedocub]

Just a justification for them to jack the price to 8.99

[Lantern_Lad]

Well, after picking up all the figures this morning at the Victorville, CA Target... home of the rudest Target employees I've ever seen (and I go to a lot of damn Target's) I hope they get nailed too. Had I picked them up at the other Targets, I'd actually feel bad. But not that particular location...

Though I'm sure the fees are directed at Target corporate and not the individual stores, I would think the shit would trickle downhill fast.

[MLos1]

Wal-mart also has a tendency to hire illegal immigrants and gain MASSIVE fines for that.

[thairestauranteur]

I was in Wallyworld 2 nights ago and I personally opened 5 whole cases of the figures!

I was going to buy a couple set of the best paint apps but my wife stopped me.

God I can only hope each figure would have been worth $10,000 in fines for each figure!


They weren't out last night because I was going to get them.


Wallyworld must have gotten the memo.

[MSU44]

OK-so let me ask this-

What are the chances a Hasbro rep would be in TX? It seems like EVERYONE from TX complains about the lack of product for months on end there. They finally get something and get banged for it

Hey Lody if you check out my reply a few pages back I'm in TX and I have a Hasbro rep (part-time) who works for me. There are Hasbro reps everywhere I know for a fact there are 6 in the Houston area alone (1 full time rep and 5 part timers.) Most of the reps around the country are part timers. I work in the Merchandising world and run into them all the time. It's easy for people to not run into them because of the number of stores and geography these people cover. If you are in and out of stores all day everyday there's a good chance you could run into them..... ....but keep in mind at the same time you could be in a Wal-Mart they are in the Target next door....it can be hit or miss.

[goosetuber]

Online can ship and sell 7-6 from what I was told by the same manager, but Tru has had items up for a week now, has anyones shipped yet?

[DrFever]

I just do not understand the whole street date thing. It seems like a company that invested all that time and money into producing a product would want to start selling it as soon as possible in order to recoup some of that money.

Street dates are to keep it fair.

Example Target is putting stuff out.

So guess where all us geeks are headed. TARGET. That's not fair to TRU, Wally, etc.

[samantha]

Street dates are to keep it fair.

Example Target is putting stuff out.

So guess where all us geeks are headed. TARGET. That's not fair to TRU, Wally, etc.

It is fair to me. :D Yet I do understand why they have street dates.

[nickvree]

that's all hearsay, and I really doubt it.

Not to mention the type of trouble the rep could get into for divulging that information.

He likely meant that they COULD get fined 10k for a street date violation, but they won't.

[dcooper]

Target is doing street dates as well.

[gunslingercbr]

Street dates are to keep it fair.

Example Target is putting stuff out.

So guess where all us geeks are headed. TARGET. That's not fair to TRU, Wally, etc.

no, it is to create one uniformed retail presence and make the release of the figures an event. it has zero to do with fairness.

[goosetuber]

Well, after picking up all the figures this morning at the Victorville, CA Target... home of the rudest Target employees I've ever seen (and I go to a lot of damn Target's) I hope they get nailed too. Had I picked them up at the other Targets, I'd actually feel bad. But not that particular location...

Though I'm sure the fees are directed at Target corporate and not the individual stores, I would think the shit would trickle downhill fast.

Newtonian laws of physics apply to all fecal matter, both corporate and beaurocratic.

I want the Pitt. I know it isn't perfect but I can spruce it up and make it work for me. Please can any one confirm that while the front end display will not be up TRU will still be selling the ROC toys on Saturday the 4th? :)

the manager at TRU stated that his display would not go up until 7-10
there were large signs on his stock boxes that said
"GI JOE July 10th"

As much as it might seem that the rep was talking out of school, she did not mention which specific store was fined (there are 3walmarts within 10 miles of there), and the story certainly could serve as a warning to other retailers not to be fronting the mechandise.

[Zanzibar]

Did you complain to the rep about walmart not stocking there shelves. To me that's worse violation than the street date issue.

dude I agree, mine didnt seem to restock AT ALL this year.

[Troynos]

They didn't restock because there was nothing to restock. They ordered no more Joes after Wave 13, all stores seemed to do this.

Don't know if it was a Hasbro decision to not send any more stock or a store decision to not restock and let what they had on the shelves disappear to make room for RoC.

[Darth_Risar]

I would agree but Target and TRU tend to get things faster then we do at Wal-Mart. I bought my first 25th joes at TRU. And a lot of the smaller mom and po places get things first so I don't actually think it violates any law, because if that was the case the same thing could be said for the store exclusives.

[Mech-Viper]

knowing hasbro they might have reps going thru the sightings pages, i run into the sales rep for hasbro a number of times and ask questions about the transformers, star wars and gi joe every time i see her, she knows who most of the collecters are and who the scaplers are , as she said "i can tell the different between you guys from the look scaplers treat the product as if its money while the rest of you get the childish look look you found the coolest thing around."

[Darth_Risar]

I suggest two books to everyone interested in the Toy Industry.

Toyland and Toy Wars.

They should both be available on Amazon. They go into great depth about Hasbro and Mattel as well as some of the retailers. Toy Wars in paticular focus on Hasbro and Mattel.

I remember when TRU used to call all the shots, There is a joke in Toy wars that one year if TRU shows up to toy fair doesn't like what Hasbro is selling so it doesn't buy and that they would have to call off Christmas that year.

[Lody]

Well, after picking up all the figures this morning at the Victorville, CA Target... home of the rudest Target employees I've ever seen (and I go to a lot of damn Target's) I hope they get nailed too. Had I picked them up at the other Targets, I'd actually feel bad. But not that particular location...

Though I'm sure the fees are directed at Target corporate and not the individual stores, I would think the shit would trickle downhill fast.

story?

[coola784]

thats nothing for walmart, thats like scrap change.

[Lody]

pissed off with hasbro not walmart.

This was in reference to someone saying that the street date is to make it "fair" for Wal Mart. That's the LAST thing they have been doing for their competitors.

[DrKain]

July 10th? I thought the street date was July 4th? Or July 6th? Wait, will they just make up their ****ing minds!?

[Sigma6_fan85]

Wal-mart also has a tendency to hire illegal immigrants and gain MASSIVE fines for that.

i take that as an offensive to the mexican people who want nothing but to geta good job and helping they're families.

[Griff]

i hope wal-mart DOES stop caryring toys as they suck for anything.

[Darth_Risar]

We should all write Hasbro and complain about these stupid street dates. They have done it for almost every action figure line in the past two years. I think they should change it to a must be on shel no later than date.

[Sigma6_fan85]

july 4th july 6 - july 7th july 10th? damnit! these street dates are driving me up the damn wall! I WANT MY GIJOE MOVIE TOYS NOW!!!

[MightyMegs]

If anyone here actually believes Hasbro could 'fine' Walmart... I have some Michael Jackson concert tickets to sell you.

[Toecutter]

July 10? Hasbro recently announced the street date was July 4. I am not buying this story.

[jordan23]

This post is total BS. I am a Manager at Wal-Mart and this is not how a fine could or would be issued. For starters, its not illegal to merchandise the items, only to sell them and you can not sell them since there is a register block on them. (I tried to ring one up today and Sell Not Allowed) Not sure why all the hate on Wal-Mart always but hey, they pay my bills and help me support my hobby (JOES) so I am all for lower prices on the exact same items that you pay more for in other stores.

[jordan23]

BTW...street date is July 10th....its on the cases so even if direction to put out early comes down most will still not get them on the shelves till that date.

[Blaster'spunchingbagg]

i hope wal-mart DOES stop caryring toys as they suck for anything.


Quite F**king True!!!

[DrFever]

If anyone here actually believes Hasbro could 'fine' Walmart... I have some Michael Jackson concert tickets to sell you.

Sure they could. Just a matter of what the contracts say.

[Sgt. Stowell]

no one is getting fined. I bet the secret Hasbro rep was a rabid joe fan punking you!

[DrFever]

Might as well bring it up here.

Who the hell has time to meet the reps. I walk to the toy isle and either see what I want or don't and leave. My toy isle trip takes 30 seconds on average.

[Jmacq1]

July 10? Hasbro recently announced the street date was July 4. I am not buying this story.

Where did Hasbro announce this?

I'd really like to see a source on this, because it's definitely been a serious point of confusion.

BTW, the dates on the boxes can be negated with a few e-mails. That's what happened with the Marvel Universe figures and X-Men Origins: Wolverine figures earlier this year.

[soundwavempl]

To add to the street date confusion:

TNI is reporting that the ROC release date has been moved up to Monday, July 6th - G.I.Joe Rise Of Cobra Toys To Be Released Early - GI Joe - ToyNewsI.com (http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=9&itemid=14668)

[Jeffrozup]

I have to agree with the poster that said the register would say "Sell Not Allowed" I have seen this before when trying to buy an item before the "street date". I remembered it because I laughed at the poor grammar of "sell not allowed" instead of "sale."

[Jmacq1]

I almost wonder if (as someone suggested above) Hasbro's hearing all these rumors of early street dates and whatnot and is suddenly cracking down. Because we haven't gotten any sort of official word from them on the matter. It's all been second or third-hand.

The 6th might be an "E-Tailer" date. The stuff might not even be allowed to ship until the 10th/11th.

[goosetuber]

If anyone here actually believes Hasbro could 'fine' Walmart... I have some Michael Jackson concert tickets to sell you.

Keep those tickets man, can you imagine what they will go for on ebay to collectors!!

This post is total BS. I am a Manager at Wal-Mart and this is not how a fine could or would be issued. For starters, its not illegal to merchandise the items, only to sell them and you can not sell them since there is a register block on them. (I tried to ring one up today and Sell Not Allowed) Not sure why all the hate on Wal-Mart always but hey, they pay my bills and help me support my hobby (JOES) so I am all for lower prices on the exact same items that you pay more for in other stores.

Glad to hear form you!

Yeah I'm surprised at the amount of wal-mart bashing myself. They carry a ton of Joe stuff in my area and often have it just as quickly as other stores.

Biggest retailer gets the biggest target on their chest? I don't know, number one always gets slandered. can't keep everybody happy i guess. (Please don't flame, I am well aware of allegations against wal-mart business practices)

I believe the term "subject up to a $10,000 fine" was the phrasing. I do not know if an item was sold or just found on shelf.

That being said, in certain areas, figures from different lines have been available for purchase prior to the official street date. I think that in some regions the register block doesn't hit the system. This has happened with the release of Wolverine toys, and to me personally with Marvel universe toys.

[homer_sapien]

One of the Walmarts I figure checked today had ROC vehicles out for sale. They had all 4 from a case of the small alpha sized ones, the beta size one dcooper has as his av, and 2 Night Ravens.

[cmderinchief]

To add to the street date confusion:

TNI is reporting that the ROC release date has been moved up to Monday, July 6th - G.I.Joe Rise Of Cobra Toys To Be Released Early - GI Joe - ToyNewsI.com (http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=9&itemid=14668)

Same for GeneralsJoes.com:
G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA Street Date Officially Moves Up | Generals Joes - A blog about the importance (or unimportance) of little plastic men (http://generalsjoes.com/2009/07/02/g-i-joe-the-rise-of-cobra-street-date-officially-moves-up/)

[watertorture]

Online can ship and sell 7-6 from what I was told by the same manager, but Tru has had items up for a week now, has anyones shipped yet?

Got ROC Shipwreck, Ripcord, Cover Girl, HD, Breaker, Scarlet ponytail, Zartan UPS today from TRU.com.


Hey, and post if you find ROC in the Waco area.

[watertorture]

BTW, just checked TRU.com and it had a few items like Night Raven and Pit listed:

Buy Online
Pre-order Now!
Estimated Ship date: 07/06/2009

So maybe the 6th is their date.

[nickvree]

i take that as an offensive to the mexican people who want nothing but to geta good job and helping they're families.
he was just stating a fact that WM has a history of hiring illegal aliens and getting fines, not what he thought about the subject. Try to be less sensitive.

[nickvree]

no, it is to create one uniformed retail presence and make the release of the figures an event. it has zero to do with fairness.
This is not meant as a flame or insult.

For all of the talking you've done about street dates and such, you really don't know the real reason and purpose for street dates.

Street dates either started in the video or music industry (Tuesdays). The reason for this was to give equal footing to different retail outlets (or renters, in the case of video).

Watchmen comes out on DVD Tuesday, July 21. If Walmart receives its DVDs the Friday before, and Best Buy receives them the Monday before, and they each put them out when they are received, Walmart will have a HUGE advantage in sales, and take a LARGE bite out of sales for Best Buy. Seeing this happen, Best Buy will bitch, and say they want their shipments sooner, so maybe they get them on Thursday, and sell more than Walmart, which gets them on Friday, Walmart will bitch, and it will be a cycle.

Having a unified release date will alleviate this, and have it be fair to all retailers, big and small.

The street dates for toys on the other hand, probably LESS to do with sales and more to do with 'an event.' But the idea of a street date has EVERYTHING to do with fairness.

[Crimson Gord]

i wonder if that happened at my local walmart? they had night ravens that didn't move for two days then they vanished, and gijoe moves very slow here in town.

[Darth_Risar]

God forbid the free market is allowed to actually work without interference. There is no need for a street date. This is like the government saying GM is to big to fail. I am sure Hasbro would like to move as many units as they can, this is and always has been a stupid marketing ploy. If the company has an edge over another, say like getting a product to market first then that company is the market leader until another can supplant it. The market, meaning us, determine who is leader through where we buy, this determined not only price but also availabilty and other factors such as customer service. Being fair to one company buy crippling or hampering another is not only bad business for a manufacturing firm but hampers competition. Smaller firms can compete with larger firms by either price or service so this street date nonsense needs to be done away with because it is against capitalism. The customer is the one who decides where and when to spend the money, and as we all know the customer is always right.

And despite how big Wal-Mart is now, Sam Walton started out with one store in Arkansas.

[DrFever]

Don't want street dates?

Start your own toy company, get the rights to your favorite stuff, then set the rules, until then. Buy a calender and live with it.

[MachineGunEtiquette]

Street Dates = Communism.
Street Dates= Weak America.

I say this because I am an impatiant capitalist who thinks that everything that I want is right, and everything I don't is the ultimate evil. And I am a spoiled brat.

thats my impression of a rediculous argument.

on the other hand all I know about the negative impact of street dates on the joe toys is that I keep hearing they are out, go to the store, they aint there and I spend my Joe budget on Transformers, which are out, are awesome, and on sale.

[jdiddy]

I agree. Walmart is the biggest retailer in the country if not the world.Hasbro could not survive with out Walmart..........not thats a good thing.

[Darth_Risar]

Or as a Hasbro stockholder maybe they should listen to me as well.

[hayardin]

I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the local Walmart had the vehicles, and costumes out for a week. Still no sign of the figures, but at least I got the Night Raven, which I'm very happy with, other than the fact it cost me $48.

[pdaaat]

Don't feel too bad for them. They hit there suppliers with $1000 fines all the time for any sort of deviation.

[kdu2814]

God forbid the free market is allowed to actually work without interference. There is no need for a street date. This is like the government saying GM is to big to fail. I am sure Hasbro would like to move as many units as they can, this is and always has been a stupid marketing ploy. If the company has an edge over another, say like getting a product to market first then that company is the market leader until another can supplant it. The market, meaning us, determine who is leader through where we buy, this determined not only price but also availabilty and other factors such as customer service. Being fair to one company buy crippling or hampering another is not only bad business for a manufacturing firm but hampers competition. Smaller firms can compete with larger firms by either price or service so this street date nonsense needs to be done away with because it is against capitalism. The customer is the one who decides where and when to spend the money, and as we all know the customer is always right.

And despite how big Wal-Mart is now, Sam Walton started out with one store in Arkansas.

Where was it said that the government was involved in setting street dates? Unless the government is stepping in, the free market is allowed to work. If it was the retailers and manufacturers who agreed to have street dates then the free market is still in effect.

The whole reason the market is not free is because companies kept screwing people and each other over.

Kevin

[txbart]

I agree. Walmart is the biggest retailer in the country if not the world.Hasbro could not survive with out Walmart..........not thats a good thing.

On the other side, If Walmart dropped Hasbro It could give the remaining Hasbro retailers, like TRU and Target, an advantage to gain marketshare. Kids and parents know what they want to spend their money on, and Hasbro has some of the hottest brands in the business. Therefor, the Hasbro consumers will get what they want where they find it and a drought at Walmart will drive them to the green watering holes of the competition.

[sonofdestro]

i take that as an offensive to the mexican people who want nothing but to geta good job and helping they're families.

There is nothing offensive about that statement. Illegal immigration is ILLEGAL, so it is illegal to hire illegal illegal immigrants. It is also illegal to rob people or sell drugs as a job to provide for your family. Obeying the law is not an offense, but breaking it is.

[Toecutter]

I surprised this thread is still going. Gov't, illegal immigration? Lighten up folks, its Independence Day. Go play with explosives and drink beer.

[Barefoot Jedi]

Well, the street dates in this case are obviously worthless as it seems several TRUs and Targets have already begun selling the ROC stuff.

[Alyosha]

Talked with a WM manager last night, and he mentioned this. The kicker is that it's $10,000 per figure that gets sold. That could add up in a hurry.

[doomed huh]

I don't believe this for a second.

hasbro is pretty dependent on wal-mart, they need them to sell their product.

there's no way they'd enforce this. and wal-mart is too powerful anyway

[dsrader]

I dont believe it,Wheres the proof.LOL Alot of stores put them out already.

[dsrader]

Where was this? My wifes sister is a rep for walmart.

[Alyosha]

The manager I spoke with was the PM GM at Walmart on Alta Mere/183 in west Fort Worth. I'd asked whether they intended to put out stuff today since a lot of TRU's were going to, and he responded with that info.

[Autobot_Goldbug]

WalMart's competitors have been complaining about Wal Mart's prices being so low that they can not compete for years now haven't they?
Well that certainly isn't the case anymore.

BTW...street date is July 10th....its on the cases so even if direction to put out early comes down most will still not get them on the shelves till that date.

Yes it will probably take until the 10th until that message gets through. :D

Anyway to summarize...
Street date was July 10th.
Boxes have stickers which say DO NOT PUT OUT UNTIL July 10th.
Hasbro says it moves up street date a week early... July 6th.
TRU gets to sell them July 4th. (Probably got permission from Hasbro)
Harsh reality most stores besides TRU will go by the sticker on the box.
More than likely no one is getting fined.
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.K., & Brazil already have the toys at retail.

[Rising Phoenix2]

ooyy walmart puts things out before street date all the time... nothing new at all and not surprising.

sometimes the street dates are allowed early on certain items though but course that privilege can always be taken away from stores.

[nerdsgetchicks]

This post is total BS. I am a Manager at Wal-Mart and this is not how a fine could or would be issued. For starters, its not illegal to merchandise the items, only to sell them and you can not sell them since there is a register block on them. (I tried to ring one up today and Sell Not Allowed) Not sure why all the hate on Wal-Mart always but hey, they pay my bills and help me support my hobby (JOES) so I am all for lower prices on the exact same items that you pay more for in other stores.

I like Wal-Mart. Prices are good and always have stock. This thread is bull. Nobody ever shows proof of anything and most of this is hear say. I only went to Target because they actually had ROC toys on the 3rd. Didn't want to wait. Otherwise I would have gone to Wal-Mart. By the way....Big Lots SUCKS!!

[homer_sapien]

If Walmart decided to stop selling Hasbro stuff I'd never set foot in the place again. Looking for Joes and Star Wars stuff is the only reason I go anywhere near the place now. Any other stuff I pick up there on my toy runs can be found just as easily at Target or other stores.

[hantei40]

Let's all be cool here.

TRU has their stuff out today in Cleveland. We who have been watching the site here religiously have known this was going to happen for weeks now. Target's going live tomorrow. Why would Wal Mart allow itself to be last? It makes no business sense. The business postion is that you can't allow your supplier to provide to other's on a item in an unequal way. If a Hasbro Rep did slap a fine on them Wal Mart won't let it stand, and I doubt Hasbro's corporate would either.

A point though - the boxes that I saw today are still marked "Do not stock before 7/10". I just think there a misunderstanding here, but I don't think there's much more of a story. The merchandise is on the shelves today, fines or no.

[Darth_Risar]

Where was it said that the government was involved in setting street dates? Unless the government is stepping in, the free market is allowed to work. If it was the retailers and manufacturers who agreed to have street dates then the free market is still in effect.

The whole reason the market is not free is because companies kept screwing people and each other over.

Kevin

Actually the reason the market is messed up is the government trying to "level" the playing field.

[Sergeant Slaughter]

Actually the reason the market is messed up is the government trying to "level" the playing field.

Someone doesn't understand economics.

[Rising Phoenix2]

i use to work at TRU. and i know for a fact some people don't pay attention to release dates on the boxes. since i was in the video games section.

and i am sure everyone has heard of the games that have been released early and stores fined for them... like bioshock and madden a few years back. and let me tell ya.. some companies will do more fine the store if they catch stores selling early.

not all stores have the can't sell till date program in all states.

i don't hate walmart... but they do violate dvd release dates more often than other places as i have seen in the past 2 months in certain states.

[Darth_Risar]

Actually, I do.

[kdu2814]

I like Wal-Mart. Prices are good and always have stock. This thread is bull. Nobody ever shows proof of anything and most of this is hear say. I only went to Target because they actually had ROC toys on the 3rd. Didn't want to wait. Otherwise I would have gone to Wal-Mart. By the way....Big Lots SUCKS!!

The Wal Mart in the town I am in has not had Joes since March, and the ones they had then had been there since December (about 10 figures for those three months). After Wal Mart arrived, all the other stores that sold toys left or quit, which does not prove anything, but that the Wal Mart here does not serve Joe fans well.

[Diablogunner]

Just for the record, that is bullcrap, it did not happen, and the register restrictions keep it from being sold, which is all that they could fine them for.

[kdu2814]

Actually the reason the market is messed up is the government trying to "level" the playing field.

I still do not see what the government has to do with release dates on toys (or CDs or movies...)

Also, if some businesses use underhanded tactics and injure and cheat employees now (and in the past), why would they stop just because government stepped back out of the market. Most regulations I know of are to prevent cheating and harming people.

Kevin

[Johnnyakiba]

I've met a Hasbro rep at one of my local Walmarts. The Walmart had just opened and she wanted to know some info of the consumers. She gave me a buisness card. I hope she's doing well...

[NAJA EMPIRE]

Just for the record, that is bullcrap, it did not happen, and the register restrictions keep it from being sold, which is all that they could fine them for.

I remember a thread about a month ago where a tanker bought snake eyes and storm shadow. The register said it couldn't be sold yet the manager over rode it and sold the two figures. The tanker even showed his receipt in pics.

[Autobot_Goldbug]

I remember a thread about a month ago where a tanker bought snake eyes and storm shadow. The register said it couldn't be sold yet the manager over rode it and sold the two figures. The tanker even showed his receipt in pics.

Yeah only a manager can override it.

[Rising Phoenix2]

yep this is true only mangers can override.
i know a couple hasbro reps some are pretty nice.

[MrClean]

...and who fined them? the Toy Police? The Attorney Toy General? Does he walk around with a flashing blue light on his helmet?
C'mon - Walmart is Hasbro's customer - probably their biggest. They buy from Hasbro, so why would Hasbro write them a ticket? That's just silly.

[Rising Phoenix2]

secret shoppers...please other companies are worse if they find stores putting thier stuff out early.
speically before the new system that locks out new sales.
dont say i am bsing cause i am not.

from my experience if anyone screwed up and put something out early in your section every employee in that section got a copy of the angry emails.

[DrFever]

Fines.

Can't speak for what deal TRU and Hasbro have but I can tell you about a company I used to work for who sent computer security software to Best Buy. Via this company's contract with Best Buy they had an ASN contract (Advance Shipping Notice) that came with lots and lots of rules. Each rule broke had a price to it.

Packing Slip on all four sides on skid in top left corner. If ONE wasn't there when it got to the Best Buy store. $100 fine.

Wrong Skid? $200

Didn't use correct wrapping? $75

Skid Signed For Slips missing? $35 to fake a copy back to us.

It's all in what the contract Company 1 & Company 2 have.

WalMart can't get mad if it happened at Hasbro. They (WalMart) agreed to this fine system in advance. They will be mad at that store and it's people not Hasbro.

[Rising Phoenix2]

yea fever that is true.
and different companies have different ways of dealing with it.

example: NCAA 06 someone in the section i used to work at sold some early even some of the prepaid ones. more than a fine. Game company cut how many of the game the store gets at a time. usualy its 12 in a reship box. it was cut in half for the longest time.

this day and age i don't think any company can afford to do that, but a few years ago.. oh yea they could and they did.

[jibbajabbawocky]

The hasbro rep who came into my Target was pissed that we hadn't set a GI Joe endcap on the 5th. We told him that the boxes his company sent us had a street date of the tenth. Apparently Target gets early dibs on Joes.

[Shin-Gouki]

The moral of the story is Hasbro reps know less than they let on, and make crap up to sound like they know something. I have seen this many times in my dealings and the fact that I know someone personally that was one tells me that this guy was and is full of shit. (The Hasbro Rep not the Original Poster)

[Rising Phoenix2]

shows that memos weren't sent back and forth of a date change is all really.
but yea some company reps dont know everything.

[DannySickboy72]

TRU that i go was told via email that Hasbro said put the ROC up on the 4th, yesterday my Target i went to started setting up the ROC displays last night at 5 after getting a email again Hasbro said get it up and out NOW ( both of the employees that told me this were the respective managers /dept heads) but what i have noticed even to today on my way home from work the Walmart near me still hadnt set up their ROC displays yet as if they are going by the 10 date but Hasbro has email/contacted all the major retail chains to put the stuff out on the 4th of July but Walmart will be Walmart and do what they want

[Rising Phoenix2]

yea i ddint see ROC stuff out till the 5th
but nothing at walmart but the 25th anni clearence stuff