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Post by kirk815 on Jul 30, 2023 3:38:36 GMT -5
Does anyone wonder where these cancelled pre-order figures and the WWE Mattel stock sent to Walmart actually *goes*. Almost no pre-orders get fulfilled based on what's posted here, and so many of the figures are hard to find at retail. It's baffling. Probably destroyed/tax WO, sent to discount retailers, sent to third party retailers (RSC, EE, Small Good Toy Place), repackaged in the GH line, and/or sitting in a warehouse somewhere (Mattel or Walmarts). |
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Post by coldblooded on Jul 30, 2023 4:29:32 GMT -5
I dont know how many more cancelled preorders its going to take for people to actually start putting the blame on mattel. They know the issue and have done nothing about it. I doubt they even sent an email to someoneat walmart. What do people expect Mattel to do? Like, realistically? 1 off exclusives. Not a whole line of exclusive. |
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rydiddy
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jan 22, 2014 18:22:32 GMT -5
Posts: 219 
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Post by rydiddy on Jul 30, 2023 11:33:10 GMT -5
If it's mattels fault it's specifically who ever deals with wwe. cause any other toy line there's plenty of those exclusives on shelves. Hot Wheels Barbie etc. They say walmart asks for exclusives then they need to get their reps to make sure stuff gets out
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powerfred3k
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 12, 2012 22:12:11 GMT -5
Posts: 3,789
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Post by powerfred3k on Jul 30, 2023 13:38:44 GMT -5
I dont know how many more cancelled preorders its going to take for people to actually start putting the blame on mattel. They know the issue and have done nothing about it. I doubt they even sent an email to someoneat walmart. What do people expect Mattel to do? Like, realistically? They are supposed to at least pretend to care. Maybe send a vanilla email or phone call to someone in charge at walmart. "we love you guys and everything is going great, but there have been a few concerns about online orders." "Do not get mad at us because we know without you our company will go bankrupt." "we hope you guys will look into this issue and get back to us when you have a chance, thanks." You know something along those lines would work. |
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Post by coldblooded on Jul 30, 2023 13:47:55 GMT -5
What do people expect Mattel to do? Like, realistically? They are supposed to at least pretend to care. Maybe send a vanilla email or phone call to someone in charge at walmart. "we love you guys and everything is going great, but there have been a few concerns about online orders." "Do not get mad at us because we know without you our company will go bankrupt." "we hope you guys will look into this issue and get back to us when you have a chance, thanks." You know something along those lines would work. Or hey, "we gonna edit that contract, and we will make your exclusives in store only for that foot traffic you desire and we will sell them online at our online store..." |
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Post by coldblooded on Jul 30, 2023 13:52:27 GMT -5
Mattel screwed Mattel.
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powerfred3k
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 12, 2012 22:12:11 GMT -5
Posts: 3,789
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Post by powerfred3k on Jul 30, 2023 14:25:55 GMT -5
They are supposed to at least pretend to care. Maybe send a vanilla email or phone call to someone in charge at walmart. "we love you guys and everything is going great, but there have been a few concerns about online orders." "Do not get mad at us because we know without you our company will go bankrupt." "we hope you guys will look into this issue and get back to us when you have a chance, thanks." You know something along those lines would work. Or hey, "we gonna edit that contract, and we will make your exclusives in store only for that foot traffic you desire and we will sell them online at our online store..." Mattel has no leverage though, they take whatever crumbs walmart gives them and says thank you. If they tried to do that walmart brass could terminate all exclusive deals with them, cut down there shelf space in store, etc. What mattel really needs is some company that actually makes money to buy them. Then that company can go to walmart and say "Fix this crap". I have been saying hasbro, but they are doing really crappy right now. |
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Post by coldblooded on Jul 30, 2023 15:59:39 GMT -5
Or hey, "we gonna edit that contract, and we will make your exclusives in store only for that foot traffic you desire and we will sell them online at our online store..." Mattel has no leverage though, they take whatever crumbs walmart gives them and says thank you. If they tried to do that walmart brass could terminate all exclusive deals with them, cut down there shelf space in store, etc. What mattel really needs is some company that actually makes money to buy them. Then that company can go to walmart and say "Fix this crap". I have been saying hasbro, but they are doing really crappy right now. I see that being said a lot that basically Mattel has to bend over for Walmart. While yes I do agree, Walmart is probably their biggest supplier atm, I don't think it's so cut and dry like that. At least not now anymore. Competition is everywhere now. Just like ringside now has competition. |
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mrh
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 1, 2018 0:11:53 GMT -5
Posts: 3,488
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Post by mrh on Jul 30, 2023 17:20:51 GMT -5
Mattel has no leverage though, they take whatever crumbs walmart gives them and says thank you. If they tried to do that walmart brass could terminate all exclusive deals with them, cut down there shelf space in store, etc. What mattel really needs is some company that actually makes money to buy them. Then that company can go to walmart and say "Fix this crap". I have been saying hasbro, but they are doing really crappy right now. I see that being said a lot that basically Mattel has to bend over for Walmart. While yes I do agree, Walmart is probably their biggest supplier atm, I don't think it's so cut and dry like that. At least not now anymore. Competition is everywhere now. Just like ringside now has competition.
You're right -- there is so much competition, but Mattel needs Walmart *so* much more than vice versa.
Mattel gives probably 1/2500 of its shelf space to WWE (maybe even less). And yet is so powerful that it can demand and get major exlcusive lines. If Walmart cut its order, Mattel would be in major trouble.
The thing I don't understand is how this makes sense for Walmart, unless it's some sort of destruction/sell-off that gets them a big tax break or they are just sitting in warehouses for god knows what reason.
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Post by Crane on Jul 30, 2023 18:27:12 GMT -5
Edge is supposed to be here by Thursday and hasn't even shipped yet
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arossi417
Mid-Carder
Joined on: May 30, 2022 2:28:28 GMT -5
Posts: 257
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Post by arossi417 on Jul 30, 2023 19:02:07 GMT -5
I'm still just hoping I see Superstars series 4 on shelves soon. If they ship the preorder stuff, cool, that's an added bonus, but at least get stuff to stores in the first place so I have a shot in general.
I took a little break from hunting after legends 19, the 4-pack and the last ruthless aggression run. There's still some scraps on shippers and a bunch of old superstars on clearance, but I don't ever have the same enthusiasm that Walmart will do a toy reset in a timely fashion like Target.
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secondwhiteline
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 18, 2015 13:06:39 GMT -5
Posts: 1,543
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Post by secondwhiteline on Jul 30, 2023 21:41:25 GMT -5
Stop. Pre-ordering. Things. From. Walmart. But they told me they've changed. |
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Deleted
Joined on: Dec 4, 2024 21:56:12 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2023 1:53:09 GMT -5
Stop. Pre-ordering. Things. From. Walmart. But they told me they've changed. C’mon guy. Nah. They remained a sandy little butthole. |
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mikedanger
Superstar
Joined on: Jun 12, 2023 14:45:38 GMT -5
Posts: 784
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Post by mikedanger on Jul 31, 2023 8:09:39 GMT -5
My order is still open...for now
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Post by James St. James on Aug 1, 2023 17:39:06 GMT -5
Think of it like Walmart being an angel investor for a crowd fund. They pay for the figures to be made, they distribute them as they see fit. They eat a lot of losses because they are constantly having to clearance out the regular product (mountains of basics, irrelevant Elites that wind up in Olly's and Five Below) and store exclusives are a surefire (at least with most WWE exclusives) way to sell something at full price while also bringing in foot traffic. Walmart knows retail psychology, and they are a heartless corporation.
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Post by Flair Forever on Aug 2, 2023 7:15:11 GMT -5
I'm just gonna put this right here.....  |
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nomorexclusives
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jul 31, 2023 16:49:31 GMT -5
Posts: 1,117
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Post by nomorexclusives on Aug 2, 2023 7:29:48 GMT -5
Mattel agreed to do this. They've known about Walmarts issues. So much so, they had discussions about it. Still offered the MNW line to them. It's the Mattel way. And not only did they give Walmart a line knowing Walmart had serious issues, they gave Walmart THE line a lot of folks, like me, had been waiting years for. Yeah, I get it. I'm pretty angry at Mattel over this as well, no matter what apologists say. Totally agree. These inventory supply chain problems are nothing new for walmart and it is obvious to anyone with a brain that they are modeling their online storefront to that of amazon and toywhiz and marking up their own product - after creating demand by sitting on inventory and then reselling that same product to 3rd parties for a higher price point - only for it to end up at five and below where they ensure themselves they break even after clearancing out. In short with this model they know they will make money even if not a single figure sells at retail cost. You can only imagine the amount they buy to ensure this model is safe-proof. Therein lies the problem. They buy such an exhausting amount that it is hard for mattel to say no. walmart pays the rent for mattel but walmart makes the real profit. It used to be the other way around. It used to be that brick and mortar stores would be able to pay the rent and the manufacturers would rake in most of the profit. I feel like we are in an alternate universe. Just incredible to watch. It really does seem like walmart has mattel by the balls but the figures and news headlines would make it seem otherwise. Barbie and the impending success of the TMNT movie and future licensees should give mattel back some control next year to make rational decisions. Target should be getting a call next year... |
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nomorexclusives
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jul 31, 2023 16:49:31 GMT -5
Posts: 1,117
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Post by nomorexclusives on Aug 2, 2023 7:44:21 GMT -5
Think of it like Walmart being an angel investor for a crowd fund. They pay for the figures to be made, they distribute them as they see fit. They eat a lot of losses because they are constantly having to clearance out the regular product (mountains of basics, irrelevant Elites that wind up in Olly's and Five Below) and store exclusives are a surefire (at least with most WWE exclusives) way to sell something at full price while also bringing in foot traffic. Walmart knows retail psychology, and they are a heartless corporation. Yes but any real losses can just be written off on their tax papers while they mask actual profit behind 3rd party resellers acting as unaware neutral parties. Certain companies have been caught doin this (acting as civilians and reselling merchandise on ebay) without reprocussions. Therein lies the problem, there is no recourse for buyers when there is only only one supply chain. The real remedy is for the WWE to give the rights to multiple companies. Can you imagine mcfarlane doing wwe figures. Imagine the details! I can only dream. One day I believe. |
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Post by stc13 on Aug 2, 2023 7:47:43 GMT -5
And not only did they give Walmart a line knowing Walmart had serious issues, they gave Walmart THE line a lot of folks, like me, had been waiting years for. Yeah, I get it. I'm pretty angry at Mattel over this as well, no matter what apologists say. Totally agree. These inventory supply chain problems are nothing new for walmart and it is obvious to anyone with a brain that they are modeling their online storefront to that of amazon and toywhiz and marking up their own product - after creating demand by sitting on inventory and then reselling that same product to 3rd parties for a higher price point - only for it to end up at five and below where they ensure themselves they break even after clearancing out. In short with this model they know they will make money even if not a single figure sells at retail cost. You can only imagine the amount they buy to ensure this model is safe-proof. Therein lies the problem. They buy such an exhausting amount that it is hard for mattel to say no. walmart pays the rent for mattel but walmart makes the real profit. It used to be the other way around. It used to be that brick and mortar stores would be able to pay the rent and the manufacturers would rake in most of the profit. I feel like we are in an alternate universe. Just incredible to watch. It really does seem like walmart has mattel by the balls but the figures and news headlines would make it seem otherwise. Barbie and the impending success of the TMNT movie and future licensees should give mattel back some control next year to make rational decisions. Target should be getting a call next year... Yeah, no. Just no. Walmart has been a corporate giant for decades exactly because they hold all the cards due to the size and scale of their operation. This isn't exclusive to Mattel. Walmart has done far worse going back to the 90's. Rubbermaid use to be the dominant tupperware brand. They tried to raise prices to account for the rising price of oil. Walmart was their biggest account, and wanted them to cut quality and stay at the same price. Rubbermaid stood their ground, so Walmart started giving a competitor more prominent shelf space and moved Rubbermaid products to undesirable shelf space and cut their footprint. Sales crashed and the company and they ended up sold a few years later. And call Target? Target already has their own exclusive programs and is buying the line. These exclusives are prestige products that Mattel uses to lock in volume commitments on their on the higher volume products (Elites, Top Picks). Hopefully something changes. But I think some people have grossly distorted perspectives on what the economic realities are for both companies. |
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nomorexclusives
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jul 31, 2023 16:49:31 GMT -5
Posts: 1,117
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Post by nomorexclusives on Aug 2, 2023 8:14:36 GMT -5
Totally agree. These inventory supply chain problems are nothing new for walmart and it is obvious to anyone with a brain that they are modeling their online storefront to that of amazon and toywhiz and marking up their own product - after creating demand by sitting on inventory and then reselling that same product to 3rd parties for a higher price point - only for it to end up at five and below where they ensure themselves they break even after clearancing out. In short with this model they know they will make money even if not a single figure sells at retail cost. You can only imagine the amount they buy to ensure this model is safe-proof. Therein lies the problem. They buy such an exhausting amount that it is hard for mattel to say no. walmart pays the rent for mattel but walmart makes the real profit. It used to be the other way around. It used to be that brick and mortar stores would be able to pay the rent and the manufacturers would rake in most of the profit. I feel like we are in an alternate universe. Just incredible to watch. It really does seem like walmart has mattel by the balls but the figures and news headlines would make it seem otherwise. Barbie and the impending success of the TMNT movie and future licensees should give mattel back some control next year to make rational decisions. Target should be getting a call next year... Yeah, no. Just no. Walmart has been a corporate giant for decades exactly because they hold all the cards due to the size and scale of their operation. This isn't exclusive to Mattel. Walmart has done far worse going back to the 90's. Rubbermaid use to be the dominant tupperware brand. They tried to raise prices to account for the rising price of oil. Walmart was their biggest account, and wanted them to cut quality and stay at the same price. Rubbermaid stood their ground, so Walmart started giving a competitor more prominent shelf space and moved Rubbermaid products to undesirable shelf space and cut their footprint. Sales crashed and the company and they ended up sold a few years later. And call Target? Target already has their own exclusive programs and is buying the line. These exclusives are prestige products that Mattel uses to lock in volume commitments on their on the higher volume products (Elites, Top Picks). Hopefully something changes. But I think some people have grossly distorted perspectives on what the economic realities are for both companies. They would not be exclusives. The brick and mortar exclusives are killing lines (and hardly ever hit shelves long enough for people to notice). Mattel has to think of its longevity. Don't forget they have shareholders too. Both target and walmart should sell wwe figures. Any exclusives should go on mattel creative online (like hasbro pulse' site). This is what saved the retro line and will ultimately save the superstars line. There are about 100 wwe superstars that will sell before they can put out a 25th anniversary set including today's stars The outlook of mattel is not bleak: www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20230427319/mattel-says-retailers-are-still-skittish-about-stocking-up-on-toys-but-sticks-with-its-financial-outlookEdit: by the way I understand why people want to keep the instore exclusives going as that is what sells on their ebay store but the average wwe collector is a completist, customizer and opener. When it comes to the point that the majority of buyers are resellers than I would agree. Until then most of us here just want to enjoy displaying our figures and giving our kids something they can play with. God help us all the day that we are all buying them to collect dust in boxes for future investment potential. It would not be the first time and most of them regret it today. I have found that merchandise worth the most are items that were once readily available but just missed out on. Not items already marked up to the point that they are still worth the same amount today. Lines have gotten too big and the majority of people can no longer keep track of their collections. This is why star wars black series is struggling now |
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