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Generations Toys $12.97 at Walmart (And A Rant)
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Zobovor
May 7, 2013, 10:27:41 PM5/7/13
to
The Deluxe-class Generations toys have joined the Deluxe-class Beast
Hunters assortment in a price reduction. $12.97 still ain't ten
dollars (and I'm fully aware it's preposterous to expect toys to sell
for the same amount of money that they did almost 20 years ago), but
it's better than the $15.97 they were previously going for.
In related news, I'd like to share some frustrations and, perhaps,
help shed some light on why it's so darned hard to find collectibles
sometimes.
Okay, so I care about my toy department. It should come as no
surprise that it's always been my favorite part of any store of any
type anywhere, and now that it's actually my responsibility to take
care of it, I've taken each and every toy under my proverbial wing and
am determined to give them all the love that they deserve while the
department was being sadly neglected for the past few months.
So, part of my job is to manage the on-hands, or how many of a given
item we actually have in the store. Sometimes the numbers get messed
up due to theft, or shipping cases with the wrong labels on them, or
people accidentally inflating numbers during standard backroom
audits. The end result of this is that, quite often, the store's
computer thinks we have a lot more stuff than we actually do. At
Walmart, the computer is partly responsible for ordering new stuff, so
if it thinks we still have stuff on the shelf, it's not going to order
more. So, if I see an empty spot on the shelf and determine that
there isn't any back stock floating around in the stockroom, I will
tell the computer we don't really have any. There are checks and
balances in place, though, and somebody in upper management has to
review all the on-hand changes and can choose to accept or deny them.
If the changes get accepted, the on-hand is reset to zero and we get
to order more product. If it's denied, then I come in the next day
and the computer still thinks we have eight Furby toys on the shelf,
even though we haven't sold a single one since December 21 of last
year. (True story.)
You'd be surprised how frequently management looks only at the dollar
amount of what is being corrected and flat-out denies the count
request based solely on that. (Eight missing Furby toys at $44 a pop
represents a potential loss of about $350 worth of merchandise.) So,
I'm constantly butting heads with the higher-ups, because I know
what's on the salesfloor much better than they do, but they're so
concerned with the bottom line that they're more worried about
potential loss than accurate on-hand counts. (What's funny is that
our store's inventory is coming in a month or so, and whatever RGIS
counts, they'll just accept blindly. They have no choice. Now, who
do you think is going to count things more carefully—some random mook
with an inventory scanner who will only be there for one day, or the
guy who is getting paid to take care of the department day in and day
out?)
My point is that it's not always lazy stockers or apathetic department
managers who are the cause of an inability to find new stuff on the
shelf, as is frequently cited to be the case. Sometimes it's just
bureaucracy!
Zob
Hunters assortment in a price reduction. $12.97 still ain't ten
dollars (and I'm fully aware it's preposterous to expect toys to sell
for the same amount of money that they did almost 20 years ago), but
it's better than the $15.97 they were previously going for.
In related news, I'd like to share some frustrations and, perhaps,
help shed some light on why it's so darned hard to find collectibles
sometimes.
Okay, so I care about my toy department. It should come as no
surprise that it's always been my favorite part of any store of any
type anywhere, and now that it's actually my responsibility to take
care of it, I've taken each and every toy under my proverbial wing and
am determined to give them all the love that they deserve while the
department was being sadly neglected for the past few months.
So, part of my job is to manage the on-hands, or how many of a given
item we actually have in the store. Sometimes the numbers get messed
up due to theft, or shipping cases with the wrong labels on them, or
people accidentally inflating numbers during standard backroom
audits. The end result of this is that, quite often, the store's
computer thinks we have a lot more stuff than we actually do. At
Walmart, the computer is partly responsible for ordering new stuff, so
if it thinks we still have stuff on the shelf, it's not going to order
more. So, if I see an empty spot on the shelf and determine that
there isn't any back stock floating around in the stockroom, I will
tell the computer we don't really have any. There are checks and
balances in place, though, and somebody in upper management has to
review all the on-hand changes and can choose to accept or deny them.
If the changes get accepted, the on-hand is reset to zero and we get
to order more product. If it's denied, then I come in the next day
and the computer still thinks we have eight Furby toys on the shelf,
even though we haven't sold a single one since December 21 of last
year. (True story.)
You'd be surprised how frequently management looks only at the dollar
amount of what is being corrected and flat-out denies the count
request based solely on that. (Eight missing Furby toys at $44 a pop
represents a potential loss of about $350 worth of merchandise.) So,
I'm constantly butting heads with the higher-ups, because I know
what's on the salesfloor much better than they do, but they're so
concerned with the bottom line that they're more worried about
potential loss than accurate on-hand counts. (What's funny is that
our store's inventory is coming in a month or so, and whatever RGIS
counts, they'll just accept blindly. They have no choice. Now, who
do you think is going to count things more carefully—some random mook
with an inventory scanner who will only be there for one day, or the
guy who is getting paid to take care of the department day in and day
out?)
My point is that it's not always lazy stockers or apathetic department
managers who are the cause of an inability to find new stuff on the
shelf, as is frequently cited to be the case. Sometimes it's just
bureaucracy!
Zob
Chad Rushing
May 7, 2013, 11:52:30 PM5/7/13
to
On May 7, 9:27 pm, Zobovor <zm...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> My point is that it's not always lazy stockers or apathetic department
> managers who are the cause of an inability to find new stuff on the
> shelf, as is frequently cited to be the case. Sometimes it's just
> bureaucracy!
That's a very interesting side to the whole story. It never occurred
>
> My point is that it's not always lazy stockers or apathetic department
> managers who are the cause of an inability to find new stuff on the
> shelf, as is frequently cited to be the case. Sometimes it's just
> bureaucracy!
to me that a regional branch would prefer to keep its inventory counts
incorrect if it made the branch's bottom line (or theft statistics)
look better, but I just do not think that way. I worked retail for a
short time, and I was surprised at how inefficient it could be at
times. I'd imagine that you would run a very good toy department.
- Chad
Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.
May 8, 2013, 1:18:44 AM5/8/13
to
On May 7, 9:27 pm, Zobovor <zm...@aol.com> wrote:
opposite problem.
I have to cover 28 stores and don't work directly for the individual
stores. I have a store that refuses to put signs up, All it takes is
scanning barcodes and puitting stickers on the shelves. They have
stuff that went on clearance in August....2011.....a $200 printer is
now on clearance for $21, but there is still no price on it. (their
sign system conveniently breaks down every time I walk into their
store, and I don't have time to deal with their little trick)
Another store I moved up 150 pounds of clearance back-to-school
supplies from the back room to the empty pegs on the floor (that were
empty since February, despite still having plenty of stock to put on
it), in April. 1 week later 3/4ths of them were gone, but when you
actually put them out on the floor, it sells, sometimes really fast.
In a few weeks they all have inventory coming up, and I try to impress
on them that their district makes them re-count what Regis inventory
counts, so the more clearance crap they sell before then the less they
have to count.
Alot of it is the inventory system. There are 2 $900 PCs that the
inventory computer claimed they were being held for orders for over a
month, where the order computer says those orders were cancelled a
month ago, but the inventory system just will not update, and every
time that model comes in we have to sell the last 2 with management
overrides because the register won't sell what is supposed to be held
for orders.
I think there is a perfect storm of man + machine + bureaucracy +
apathy + random chance that all combines to make things happen
Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats
May 8, 2013, 2:50:02 AM5/8/13
to
On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 7:27:41 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
> The Deluxe-class Generations toys have joined the Deluxe-class Beast
> Hunters assortment in a price reduction. $12.97 still ain't ten
> dollars (and I'm fully aware it's preposterous to expect toys to sell
> for the same amount of money that they did almost 20 years ago), but
> it's better than the $15.97 they were previously going for.
But, the new toys are much lighter, and use less materials, than BW Transmetals, so wouldn't be selling the same (or comparable) toy for the same price.
> The Deluxe-class Generations toys have joined the Deluxe-class Beast
> Hunters assortment in a price reduction. $12.97 still ain't ten
> dollars (and I'm fully aware it's preposterous to expect toys to sell
> for the same amount of money that they did almost 20 years ago), but
> it's better than the $15.97 they were previously going for.
> Okay, so I care about my toy department.
> It should come as no
> surprise that it's always been my favorite part of any store of any
> type anywhere, and now that it's actually my responsibility to take
> care of it, I've taken each and every toy under my proverbial wing and
> am determined to give them all the love that they deserve while the
> department was being sadly neglected for the past few months.
Even the Star Wars Transformers? They don't deserve your love!
mathewi...@gmail.com
May 8, 2013, 8:10:03 AM5/8/13
to
I think there is a psychological thing about people wanting a $10 toy.
Deluxe was Hasbro's best seller according to their shareholder's meeting. I think they were thinking they could nudge up the profitability on the Deluxes by shaving down the parts and nudging up the prices. Problem is, I think this backfired. People didn't like the toys being reduced, and the prices going up to $15. Personally I moved to Cyberverse toys. I am simply not interested in paying $15 a pop for characters.
So the toys are getting a little better now, and the prices a little lower. They may have been intentional by Hasbro too. Crapify the toys and raise the prices for a couple months, then when they lower the prices back to $12 and they put in slightly bigger weapons, we think we are getting a deal! We are still paying more for less than we were for Deluxes 2 years ago, but it seems like an improvement so we are happy. It's alike gasoline. It was around $1 to $1.50 for decades. Then it shoots up to $4. When it goes down to $3.50 we are happy about the "low" price.
Mathew
Deluxe was Hasbro's best seller according to their shareholder's meeting. I think they were thinking they could nudge up the profitability on the Deluxes by shaving down the parts and nudging up the prices. Problem is, I think this backfired. People didn't like the toys being reduced, and the prices going up to $15. Personally I moved to Cyberverse toys. I am simply not interested in paying $15 a pop for characters.
So the toys are getting a little better now, and the prices a little lower. They may have been intentional by Hasbro too. Crapify the toys and raise the prices for a couple months, then when they lower the prices back to $12 and they put in slightly bigger weapons, we think we are getting a deal! We are still paying more for less than we were for Deluxes 2 years ago, but it seems like an improvement so we are happy. It's alike gasoline. It was around $1 to $1.50 for decades. Then it shoots up to $4. When it goes down to $3.50 we are happy about the "low" price.
Mathew
Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.
May 8, 2013, 8:49:00 PM5/8/13
to
prices here still didn't go down
Message has been deleted
Gustavo Wombat
May 9, 2013, 1:58:57 AM5/9/13
to
<ade...@inbox.com> wrote:
> Or
>
> Hasbro raises prices and reduces value of deluxes.
>
> Consumers stop buying Transformers.
>
> Hasbro reduces prices and increases value of deluxes.
>
> Consumers have already moved onto collectingother toys instead and don't
> notice.
>
> ...
>
> Profit?
There's a reason no one likes you. It's because you're kind of stupid, and
kind of an asshole.
>
> Hasbro raises prices and reduces value of deluxes.
>
> Consumers stop buying Transformers.
>
> Hasbro reduces prices and increases value of deluxes.
>
> Consumers have already moved onto collectingother toys instead and don't
> notice.
>
> ...
>
> Profit?
There's a reason no one likes you. It's because you're kind of stupid, and
kind of an asshole.
Message has been deleted
Zobovor
May 9, 2013, 8:51:18 AM5/9/13
to
On May 9, 1:16 am, <adel...@inbox.com> wrote:
> I posted on topic. And Gushable starts spewing. A new flamewar with Gushy
> now that Deathy had been put down?
The recent deluge of Walmart-related nonsense was Deathy's doing, I
suspect. (I'm not sure what I did to provoke such a strong reaction
in him. Jealousy that I get to work in the Barbie aisle all day,
perhaps?)
Since this is an unmoderated group (one of the few Transformers-type
forums left in the world that isn't), we all have to police
ourselves. That is a huge strength but also a huge disadvantage.
We're all adults here (albeit adults who play with toys). Let's all
play nice, okay?
Zob
> I posted on topic. And Gushable starts spewing. A new flamewar with Gushy
> now that Deathy had been put down?
The recent deluge of Walmart-related nonsense was Deathy's doing, I
suspect. (I'm not sure what I did to provoke such a strong reaction
in him. Jealousy that I get to work in the Barbie aisle all day,
perhaps?)
Since this is an unmoderated group (one of the few Transformers-type
forums left in the world that isn't), we all have to police
ourselves. That is a huge strength but also a huge disadvantage.
We're all adults here (albeit adults who play with toys). Let's all
play nice, okay?
Zob
Zobovor
May 9, 2013, 8:53:20 AM5/9/13
to
On May 8, 9:48 pm, <adel...@inbox.com> wrote:
> Consumers have already moved onto collecting other toys instead and don't
> notice.
In my case this is actually a fairly accurate model. Iskipped pretty
much every toy that was available for $15.97, so I'm not about to go
crazy and gobble them all up just because they've been reduced by
three bucks.
Zob
> Consumers have already moved onto collecting other toys instead and don't
> notice.
In my case this is actually a fairly accurate model. Iskipped pretty
much every toy that was available for $15.97, so I'm not about to go
crazy and gobble them all up just because they've been reduced by
three bucks.
Zob
Zobovor
May 9, 2013, 8:57:14 AM5/9/13
to
On May 8, 12:50 am, "Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats"
You could be onto something there, actually. I can't tell you how
many times I've gotten bitten in the butt because I was proactive
about some new initiative at work. If I'd just been lazy and waited a
few days, I could have spared myself the trouble when they went, "Oh,
wait, never mind" or "Oh, actually, do this the exact opposite way of
the way we just told you."
> Even the Star Wars Transformers? They don't deserve your love!
We don't carry them at my store. (Truth be told, I will never be
capable of loving Dora the Explorer, either. Why is she yelling at
me? And why can't she hear me when I answer her? The map is in your
damn backpack, you stupid tart. Quit shouting.)
Zob
You could be onto something there, actually. I can't tell you how
many times I've gotten bitten in the butt because I was proactive
about some new initiative at work. If I'd just been lazy and waited a
few days, I could have spared myself the trouble when they went, "Oh,
wait, never mind" or "Oh, actually, do this the exact opposite way of
the way we just told you."
> Even the Star Wars Transformers? They don't deserve your love!
capable of loving Dora the Explorer, either. Why is she yelling at
me? And why can't she hear me when I answer her? The map is in your
damn backpack, you stupid tart. Quit shouting.)
Zob
G.B. Blackrock
May 9, 2013, 11:26:32 AM5/9/13
to
(The one notable exception is Ratchet, and that's on the strength of Jeffrey Combs).
My two cents,
G.B. Blackrock
Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats
May 9, 2013, 4:14:21 PM5/9/13
to
On Thursday, May 9, 2013 5:57:14 AM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
> On May 8, 12:50 am, "Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats"
>
> <GustavoWom...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Can you figure out the moral of your story? "Never care."
>
> You could be onto something there, actually. I can't tell you how
> many times I've gotten bitten in the butt because I was proactive
> about some new initiative at work. If I'd just been lazy and waited a
> few days, I could have spared myself the trouble when they went, "Oh,
> wait, never mind" or "Oh, actually, do this the exact opposite way of
> the way we just told you."
It's a problem with working for The Man. The Man wants you to feel pride and ownership for your work, but ultimately, whatever you do belongs to The Man, and every once in a while, The Man will do something to make that clear.
> On May 8, 12:50 am, "Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats"
>
> <GustavoWom...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Can you figure out the moral of your story? "Never care."
>
> You could be onto something there, actually. I can't tell you how
> many times I've gotten bitten in the butt because I was proactive
> about some new initiative at work. If I'd just been lazy and waited a
> few days, I could have spared myself the trouble when they went, "Oh,
> wait, never mind" or "Oh, actually, do this the exact opposite way of
> the way we just told you."
> > Even the Star Wars Transformers? They don't deserve your love!
>
> We don't carry them at my store. (Truth be told, I will never be
> capable of loving Dora the Explorer, either. Why is she yelling at
> me? And why can't she hear me when I answer her? The map is in your
> damn backpack, you stupid tart. Quit shouting.)
And that's what ended up in the stores, and every time the woman who created the face sees them, she winces and dies a little bit inside.
See above, about working for The Man.
Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.
May 9, 2013, 9:36:37 PM5/9/13
to
for $7.99....My wallet is a little lighter but not as light as if i
hadn't waited.
Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.
May 9, 2013, 10:25:53 PM5/9/13
to
On May 9, 7:57 am, Zobovor <zm...@aol.com> wrote:
> (Truth be told, I will never be
> capable of loving Dora the Explorer, either. Why is she yelling at
> me? And why can't she hear me when I answer her? The map is in your
> damn backpack, you stupid tart. Quit shouting.)
>
> Zob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpTcrtsN3U
> (Truth be told, I will never be
> capable of loving Dora the Explorer, either. Why is she yelling at
> me? And why can't she hear me when I answer her? The map is in your
> damn backpack, you stupid tart. Quit shouting.)
>
> Zob
Shin Hibiki
May 12, 2013, 11:56:59 PM5/12/13
to
Zobovor <zm...@aol.com> wrote:
>My point is that it's not always lazy stockers or apathetic department
>managers who are the cause of an inability to find new stuff on the
>shelf, as is frequently cited to be the case. Sometimes it's just
>bureaucracy!
Must be quite a bit of bureaucracy at my Walmart, then. Not
>My point is that it's not always lazy stockers or apathetic department
>managers who are the cause of an inability to find new stuff on the
>shelf, as is frequently cited to be the case. Sometimes it's just
>bureaucracy!
just toys, but also domestic goods--light bulbs, dental floss...
- Shin Hibiki
----
The race ain't over yet, baby
It's only just begun
They thought they had it won, baby
But soon we'll have 'em on the run
Shin Hibiki
May 13, 2013, 12:06:09 AM5/13/13
to
"Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People." <Ob1k...@att.net> wrote:
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpTcrtsN3U
Heh heh. Watched the whole mini-series. I think it takes the
place of this--
http://vimeo.com/40612629
--as my favorite Dora spoof. Best-ever kids' spoof may still be this
one, though (language, NSFW)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYhodCCUyBs
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpTcrtsN3U
Heh heh. Watched the whole mini-series. I think it takes the
place of this--
http://vimeo.com/40612629
--as my favorite Dora spoof. Best-ever kids' spoof may still be this
one, though (language, NSFW)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYhodCCUyBs
banzait...@gmail.com
May 19, 2013, 10:17:41 PM5/19/13
to
Iskipped pretty
>
> much every toy that was available for $15.97, so I'm not about to go
>
> crazy and gobble them all up just because they've been reduced by
>
> three bucks.
Don't you get a discount? (not talking about the five finger variety). Please tell me Wal-Mart at least gives their employees a discount (I know target does).
>
> much every toy that was available for $15.97, so I'm not about to go
>
> crazy and gobble them all up just because they've been reduced by
>
> three bucks.
-Banzaitron
mathewi...@gmail.com
May 20, 2013, 8:09:07 AM5/20/13
to
Mathew
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