I just wish that TRU and especially Zellers would get their heads out of their asses and start realizing that they are screwing themselves when it comes to exclusives.
The track record as far as they know (with Joes, and TF's) is that if they get an exclusive item, they bring it in as they have the stock and room at stores, and then they sit on the shelves.
If they would bother to read the complaints logged on their websites, talk to the people in their stores, or just look at the release dates Hasbro publishes, They should realize that they are stocking their shelves anywhere from weeks to months after these items are released in the States.
Sure, if this was the case a few years ago, it wouldn't matter as mail-order options and fan groups who would buy for others was hardly an issue that would effect their bottom line. However this is 2009, not 1989 and the need to start realizing that the fans are in easy, constant contact with the fans (or resellers) grabbing them from TRUUS/Target to be sent up here.
I'll use the example of the Transformers Animated Target Exclusives (1 Voyager class, 1 Activator class) for this point. Target started selling them in March ($30us I believe), and by April had them on sale (including a mistake where they were at $4.99us). By May I was tired of waiting and bought them both on Ebay for less than $30us each. Zellers finally had them in stores in Late June I believe, and for the low price of $49.99 Canadian or for sale at $39.99.
I would imagine that there is a fairly similar story with the Tiger Rat and Python Conquest.
Gee Zellers rep, of course it's taking a long time to sell them, All the worried fans already bought them (for less) so you are stuck selling to casual collectors, parents, and people taking the chance you'll put them on clear out as you'll have stock for ages.
Simple solution, Hasbro when you sign the agreement with these stores do the fans a favor and not only release their stock at the same time, but put it in their contracts to have them on shelves here at the same time. I can understand sitting on some stock until the other sells thru but for so called exclusives, have enough pride in your products to push your retailers to get the stuff out. Or else this sad story will continue, the store will say "well we brought your stuff in and we can't sell it" and decide not to carry them. I'm sorry, but you don't need to be a economics major to see that this is a bad way to try and sell products let alone build your brands.
That said and done, Got my Bench Press in the mail yesterday, Great figure. One less figure that TRU Canada will be able to sell if they ever get them.
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Topic: Speculation: Target Exclusives Coming to Canada??? -- Speculating Again! (Read 7823 times)