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Should TRU Take The Ultimate Plunge?


madman1366

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Okay, so we know TRU hasn't always handled things very well and we also know their future is not looking the brightest. They have been trying to right the ship and I give them credit for hanging in when so many others have faded away into oblivion. Well, MP Soundwave got me thinking, and I honestly believe it could be trying to show them the way, if they'll just open up their eyes and look.

 

 

One store I know of yesterday sold 18 MP Soundwaves in just a few hours!

 

I have also noticed that various collectors lines that come in tend to do pretty well, however they are random and restocks are iffy. It's more like an afterthought that pans out for small gains. Stuff like popular TV show, horror movie, and video game figures. The limited supply and never knowing what they will or won't get kills it.

 

OKAY, now to the point. Why doesn't TRU devote a large section of their stores (complete with a big marketing campaign) towards making themselves the countries ONLY big chain retailer to feature a full selection of IMPORT and domestic high end and regular collectible figure lines. TRU already has a good working relationship with many of the Japanese toy companies, how difficult would it be to negotiate a deal with them to get some more of these exclusive things here? There is so much more beyond Transformers that would bring in lots of big wallets loaded with cash to spend.

 

Collectible action figures are HUGE business worldwide. Most big retailers just won't commit too much to them. TRU is really the only one that can. SO...what do you think? Could this be the missing link for TRU? The thing that finally gives them an edge over conventional retailers that they've never been able to find?

 

 

 

 

The more I think about about it, the more it seems like a no brainer...so long as the right deals can be made. If dad's are shopping there more for themselves, they might be more likely to make purchases for their kids while they're there that otherwise would have ended up at Walmart and Target. So you get a trickle down effect. At the very least, they should look more into seeing if it's possible or not. I just don't see what they have to lose at this point.

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I LOVE that idea!! I used to live in NY and there were a LOT of specialty toy shops like Image Anime, Forbidden Planet, etc... but being here in Florida there aren't many places for that kind of thing. I'm thinking Tate's Comics is one of the only games in town and It would be nice to not only have variety but another place that would be convenient enough ...because ToysRUs's can be found just about everywhere and I believe that the fans of import robots and action figures would love it! All Toys would have to do is not price gouge which ToysRUs is known for with $19.00 deluxes and all that kind of thing. Sighs. At least offer a better price than the online stores!

 

I've been seeing that Power Rangers/ Super Sentai has made it to Toys with exclusive figures but I'd love to see more in the way of imports. It's a good business and I think they'd be missing the boat not getting into the game of imports.

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Apparently not too many folks on facebook thought so...oh well! People think it's too much of an undertaking that TRU couldn't afford or handle. I happen to disagree. Now I know BBTS, TFSource and other online retailers would HATE the idea I'm sure.

 

Right now, most main line action figure lines appear to be suffering a total lack of interest from kids and collectors alike. The offerings are not nearly as good as they were years ago and quality is all but gone. Specialty lines and imports are sucking money away from domestic retailers like never before and believe me, THEY (retailers and makers) NOTICE! I'm just not sure they understand the market they inadvertently created or ever learned how to properly handle it.

 

Retailers especially don't get it. In their minds, toys are for kids...that's it, end of story.

 

Somehow, the market research tells different things to different folks. Consumer sources put total action figure sales to be nearly equal between kids and adult collectors. Companies like Hasbro clearly don't buy that stat, and for that matter, retailers I'd imagine don't either. However, I believe what my eyes and experience tell me...and that is that the even split is a lot more likely to be true.

 

Now, as I said, TRU has been fading for a long time. They, specialize in toys, big retailers don't. So we're not talking a huge leap here. As was stated by Tripredacus, they alread do this in Japan and other countries with Hasbro product and we've already seen here that imported Asian exclusives KILLED. Now simply expand on that. Put more of the popular tv show and movie lines out. I know I'd love to see the Walking Dead line on shelves a lot more often. There is way too much good stuff we never even see for ourselves because they are only ever available online or some specialty stores. Easy to never buy what we never see! Master Grade Gundam models, I'd kill to see those there again!

 

It would be sad to find out TRU had to fold one day and really never gave it a shot.

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Apparently not too many folks on facebook thought so...oh well! People think it's too much of an undertaking that TRU couldn't afford or handle. I happen to disagree. Now I know BBTS, TFSource and other online retailers would HATE the idea I'm sure.

 

Right now, most main line action figure lines appear to be suffering a total lack of interest from kids and collectors alike. The offerings are not nearly as good as they were years ago and quality is all but gone. Specialty lines and imports are sucking money away from domestic retailers like never before and believe me, THEY (retailers and makers) NOTICE! I'm just not sure they understand the market they inadvertently created or ever learned how to properly handle it.

 

Retailers especially don't get it. In their minds, toys are for kids...that's it, end of story.

 

Somehow, the market research tells different things to different folks. Consumer sources put total action figure sales to be nearly equal between kids and adult collectors. Companies like Hasbro clearly don't buy that stat, and for that matter, retailers I'd imagine don't either. However, I believe what my eyes and experience tell me...and that is that the even split is a lot more likely to be true.

 

Now, as I said, TRU has been fading for a long time. They, specialize in toys, big retailers don't. So we're not talking a huge leap here. As was stated by Tripredacus, they alread do this in Japan and other countries with Hasbro product and we've already seen here that imported Asian exclusives KILLED. Now simply expand on that. Put more of the popular tv show and movie lines out. I know I'd love to see the Walking Dead line on shelves a lot more often. There is way too much good stuff we never even see for ourselves because they are only ever available online or some specialty stores. Easy to never buy what we never see! Master Grade Gundam models, I'd kill to see those there again!

 

It would be sad to find out TRU had to fold one day and really never gave it a shot.

 

 

:agree

 

Also you have to see that Toys is using bad sales approach. Price gouging their toys doesn't inspire sales and I'd really hope that if they did try this type of endeavor that that practice wouldn't be a part of their marketing plan. I know i've turned down $20 deluxes (and yes, I've seen them here) to travel to a Target or a Walmart to try to find the figure there. I think that ToysRUs is it's own destroyer when it comes to driving their customers to the competitor. I'd hope that it won't be the same way with import toys.

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It most likely will be that TRU would never take this type of action. Not that it wouldn't be an appealing idea, but old dogs just don't want to learn new tricks. So again I wonder, how can we ever get a nation wide chain to hang our hats on for the growing need of import and exclusive items at more reasonable costs?

 

The big retailers are starting to see a trend of more people heading back to more specialty type stores favoring the more helpful and friendly employees and better selections to choose from. This favors TRU but doesn't totally fix them. So might a new contender rise from the ranks of the once nearly extinct toy store industry and bring a BBTS or TFSOURCE type of store to every other mall and shopping center across the country?

 

Could it ever happen? Or is it just a matter of time before it does?

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