Store displays

[Fuzz]

Anyone annoyed at how small some TC toy displays are? So far, every store where I've found them, it's only a small 2-foot wide display, yet lines like Captain America, Thor, and Green Lantern take up half an aisle! Christ, there's usually more Bumblebee shelf-warmers in stock than TC toys!

[IndyCat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Anyone annoyed at how small some TC toy displays are? So far, every store where I've found them, it's only a small 2-foot wide display, yet lines like Captain America, Thor, and Green Lantern take up half an aisle! Christ, there's usually more Bumblebee shelf-warmers in stock than TC toys!

as a Thundercats fan I would LOVE to see a huge display with amazing signage, etc...

back to reality. There hasnt be a thundercat sold on a store shelf since the late 80's. Today, its an unproven line, even though the original show was successful. The new show was ment to be different in a lot of ways from the original therefore it was unsure how well it would be recieved. They dont want to pump a lot of money and shelf space into something they dont know how well it would do with sales. maybe series two or next year with a new roll out they might make a space dedicated to thundercats. I agree though that lots of toys become shelf warmers....maybe because the company behind it has more money to blow then they realize they get back. or because they have such a huge profit margin on them they can afford to have mods of figures on shelfs for an eternity until they go on clearance, still dont sell then are burned in a huge pile....and the companies still make a killing.

I dunno how it all works, but since Tcats are new and untested in todays market, I am not surprised they dont have huge display. Luckily for us, they are selling well.

[Joe Moore]

From my understanding, there was some hesitation by retailers on carrying the lines. You're only go to see limited shelf space allocated to it. toys like Transformers, Marvel movies, etc. all have proven track records with the sales data to back them up, not to mention blockbuster movies that are currently in theaters.

And while fans are going "OMG Thundercats!", retailers are going "Cartoon Network toy line #68346". For retailers to truly take notice, this stuff is going to need to sell for an extended amount of time, across as many locations as possible. Retailer demand dictates toy production. If places like Toys "R" Us, Walmart and Target all starting selling out, then they're going to start bugging Bandai for more products. But, if in 3 months, the toys start to stagnate on shelves, then retailers will be looking to shuffle these off to the clearance section and look for something else to fill it's spot.

We've already seen everything coming out for the year. We likely won't see much, if anything new until Toy Fair in February.

[Fist Pounder]

Well my friends 2 weeks ago my local tru got shipment one which consisted of a couple of thundertanks sword of omens and claw shield.

Not into role play items got my thundertank first purchase of new line.

Fast forward to next week went to local k mart bought 4 inch liono mummy mummra and 6 inch mummra fast forward to wednesday of same week 10 oclock at tru door we just got a shipment i saw thundercats but we wont have them on shelves until tommorow check back when we open tommorow.

10 oclock 24 hours later the thundercats are on shelfs, so i picked up the last 4 inch wily kat kit cheetara tygra panthro and second to last lizard cannon.

So I did my part to ensure there future on shelfs.

[Joe Moore]

Honestly though, collectors are going to have little to no impact here. Sure items like the classics will be aimed at us. But if the kids don't buy into the line and reception by the younger crowd is cold, it will doom this line. Thundercats needs the kids.

[The Superman J]

I too have done my share to keep this line alive. The first week that the toys were announced to be released my Toys R Us had them in and I bought everything except the role play items, thunder bikes and the deluxe lion and tygra because they lacked articulation.

As far as the displays, ya it kinda sucks. Where I got mine they were placed on the clearance aisle with literally the same 2 feet of space the OP said. Speaking of lines that have alot of space....how about the WWE WWF WWW WTF wrestling figures? My Toys R us has (no joke) an ENTIRE aisle of them. Nothing else there. I realize that for some people that is popular and what they collect too, but good lord. Not even transformers or star wars has that much space, quarter of an aisle for both at most.

[User897]

Also consider that Bandai has committed a "no-no" by offering different scales of figures all at once. This has proven time and time again to be the end of many lines. People don't want to get multiple sizes of the same character that is currently on the shelf at the same time, especially parents. Right now, there are 3 sizes of figures, and some parents or gift givers may not realize that only one size works with the vehicles and playset. Also, with the Classics being 8" scale, there will be no Classics vehicles or cross-play with 2011 figures, vehicles, or playsets. These things matter, and I sincerely hope that it doesn't hurt the line so much that it is cancelled. Like Bandai themselves, we'll have to wait and see.

[IndyCat]

[QUOTE=The Superman J;12289]I bought everything except the role play items, thunder bikes and the deluxe lion and tygra because they lacked articulation.[QUOTE]

I am glad to see I am not the only one who thought the lack of articulation on the DX figures was rediculous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by User897

Also consider that Bandai has committed a "no-no" by offering different scales of figures all at once. This has proven time and time again to be the end of many lines. People don't want to get multiple sizes of the same character that is currently on the shelf at the same time, especially parents. Right now, there are 3 sizes of figures, and some parents or gift givers may not realize that only one size works with the vehicles and playset. Also, with the Classics being 8" scale, there will be no Classics vehicles or cross-play with 2011 figures, vehicles, or playsets. These things matter, and I sincerely hope that it doesn't hurt the line so much that it is cancelled. Like Bandai themselves, we'll have to wait and see.

yes and no....

...I see the 6" and 8" grouped together and aimed at a different audience. a 10yo kid is going to have no clue who the 8" classic is. so its an automatic no buy for them, however they will like the 4" line becuase of the new show.

now on the other hand, a person in there late 20's early 30's knows exactly what the classic Lion-O is and will buy them and because they are collectors, will buy the new line too (6") and probably the 4" because they are collectors.

it would be a different situation if they made a new Lion-O in the 4", 6" and 8". I kind of wish they made the new figures in 8" instead of 6"

[squawkbot]

And whats with the distribution assortment?

There's only one of every cat per box? (besides Lion-o)

How the hell are kids suppose to get the whole team? especially when there's only peg room for maybe 2-3 boxes. Mummra's already warming pegs.

[Drake915]

when i busted open the 4" box at my local TRU they had 1 each of panthro, cheetar, wily kit and kat, then like 2 tygra's and like 2-3 mummra's and lion-o's each. been doing my part as well clearing out most of the 4" along with grune, 6"lion-o and classics lion-o.....i'll snag more when i get paid again.

[Hyper Jaguar]

Bandai and retail stores are probably waiting to see how the line does before they promote the line with store displays.

[shimey013]

LOL, i work at TRU and because they came in on my day off, I had to look for them.

This is how small of a space we are using for ours.

2 peg hooks for the 4 inch basic (1 peg hook is normally empty)
2 peg hooks for the deluxe
1 peg hook for classic
1 peg hook for the $9.99 roleplay
1 peghook for the deluxe sword
1 spot on the shelf for the 6 inch
1 spot for the Tank
1 spot for the cyc;es/lizard cannon
1 spot for the tower

It's such a small section its really sad. I am getting a lil of everything except a couple figures. I havent decided if I want the cycle. So i'm still pieceing my collection together. Working at TRU doesnt pay me enough, cause every truck i see something new that i want.

[Trukkinmunky]

Most of the places in my area are the same. They have a 3 foot wide space for the toys. I went to K-mart the day the were released and that's how I got all the main cast. But since then I haven't seen them all together in one store. Which is good, because it shows that they are selling. A lot of the pegs are empty so someone is buying them. I do feel this line will succeed so by this time next year Thundercats will be one of the hottest toys on the market. The children will feel the magic and hear the roar because the Thundercats are on the move, the Thundercats are loose.(sorry I had to :])

[Ratslash]

At my Toys r us, yeah the section is a bit small, but as other people have said, its still a new unproven line, as opposed to all the other lines that have been around for a while and have a solid selling history. However I am happy to say that within a week here, the 4 inch figures have been nearly wiped (which unfortunatly robbed me of aquiring Wilykat), so if the demand for the toys is widespread, hopefully they will get more shelf space. Besides, for now, they dont have very many toys in the line to merit a large section.