Just got back from Wal-mart and learned some very interesting things on how some stores determine when something new is comming out.

 

While there have been wave 3 and 4 sightings all over the U.S.A. it is only happening at a very inconsistant rate.

 

After reading how wave 4 is now out I went to wal-mart only to find the same crap that has been warming the shelves for ever and a day (waves 1-2 only). Now these old waves have the new Cartoon Network sticker on them but that is all that is new.

 

So I asked the head person of the toy section about why I havn't seen anything new here, yet there have been many sightings all over the country and mostly in small towns no less.

 

Two words: Test Marketing

 

The deal is that Wal-mart has the products right now in their warehouses but until they make these ticket lables called Modules nothing gets released. No modules no toys.

 

Well now here's where it really sucks (at least for wal-mart shoppers) Wal-Mart has no plans to have a country wide release of waves 3, 4 until September.

 

Again as I had said before Summer is not a toy season.

 

Also Wal-mart is not afraid of it's competiion either; apparently other stores employ the same practices.

 

So if you got the latest and greatest then, based on what I've learned, you can consider yourself lucky.

 

I'm hoping that I've gotten limited info and that what I've been told could be false but the manager I was talking to was pretty sure of her information. She herself is hunting down Transformers for her own kid.

 

Happy Waiting!

bummer....

 

but that sounds about right. I hate test markets. SCREW YOU WALMART HIPPIES!

 

-jin

The point is, it is not Hasbro's Fault that you can't get the transformers you want. It is the stores like Wal-Mart holding up the stock.

 

Not like the good old days when a toy was released by Hasbro it was out!

 

The only thing that you had to wait untill X-mass for was big big big toys like Omega Surprime.

 

Back in the 80's you could always count on that if the toy looked like it was going to cost $40 or more you won't see that thing untill October or November; just in time for X-mass

Yeah, it's actually "modulars" and toys goes through two resets a year

1. for summer

2 for christmas

 

But sometimes things are on the basic modular like TFs and don't require a reset for the new products to be put out, but if the shelves are full, Wal-mart will only open a box if they can get all the product in the box on the shelf or peg, otherwise forget it

Wal-mart will only open a box if they can get all the product in the box on the shelf or peg, otherwise forget it

Well actually it's more about those Modulars. No Modulars no toy. Even if they have it in the box.

 

These Modulars come directly from corperate and the manager will know if something new is comming if they get the modulars by e-mail

That doesn't sound quite right?

 

Assuming the employee is not a fan, they may have a different idea what a "wave" is. From the sound of it, they may divide "waves" into quarters (winter, spring, summer, fall/christmas).

 

As I understood it, Walmart ships cases to stores that order them, so if your store does not have the newest toys, it probably means that Transformers are not selling at a very high rate (I usually don't see toys for about 2-3 months after the first sighting, later if the pricepoint is overstocked).

 

In all my years of buying from Walmart, the only toys that get "unique modulars" are the big toys like Optimus and Unicron. Basics to ultras always register the same price at the pricepoint and always register as "Transformer."

 

I find it strange that Walmarts would not "release" wave 3 until September because Hasbro will still be continuing to ship product through the summer and fall. The backup on that would be terrible and probably hurt everyone involved.

 

I think there was a miscommunication somewhere.

Misscomunication? Maybe on the modular cards (genaric basic cards)

 

And She was aware of what a wave is. They don't want to put out new stuff because they feel that summer is not a high toy buying season. And unfortunately she's right.

 

September however seems to be the best time to release new toys. This represents their "summer" reset.