Help support the Mego Museum
Help support the Mego Museum

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Toy World post-TRU

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • hedrap
    Permanent Member
    • Feb 10, 2009
    • 4825

    Toy World post-TRU

    Walmart announced plans to add a 30% new selection of toys at some stores and expand its website assortment by 40%.


    Retail think tank Coresight Research has found that Walmart and Target shoppers have the biggest overlap with former Toys 'R' Us shoppers.

    Target (TGT) merchants have been buying up extra toys, and the retailer reported double-digit sales growth in the category last quarter compared to a year ago.

    "Given the strong affinity between families with young children and our brand, both toys and [baby] are key categories for us," Target CEO Brian Cornell told analysts last week. He said Toys 'R' Us closures created "unique opportunities" to drive traffic and capture market share.
    Interesting read.
  • EmergencyIan
    Museum Paramedic
    • Aug 31, 2005
    • 5470

    #2
    Mego seems to have had great timing, as well as other great things and people going for them.

    - Ian
    Rampart, this is Squad 51. How do you read?

    Comment

    • PNGwynne
      Master of Fowl Play
      • Jun 5, 2008
      • 19445

      #3
      Good news, and IMO Target has a more varied and refreshed toy dept. than Wal-mart. Losing TRU and K-Mart impacts kids and collectors alike for lines like Imaginext.

      However, a concern: where is the extra shelf space coming from to stock more toys/collectibles?
      WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

      Comment

      • ScottA
        Original Member
        • Jun 25, 2001
        • 12264

        #4
        Our Walmarts suck for toys, especially any DC or Marvel stuff.
        sigpic WANTED: Boxed, Carded and Kresge Carded WGSH

        Comment

        • Goblin19
          Talkative Member
          • May 2, 2002
          • 6108

          #5
          In my area, WalMart hasn’t picked up since TRU’s demise. Target has put in a clear effort.

          Comment

          • LordMudd
            Persistent Member
            • Aug 22, 2011
            • 1331

            #6
            Originally posted by PNGwynne
            Good news, and IMO Target has a more varied and refreshed toy dept. than Wal-mart. Losing TRU and K-Mart impacts kids and collectors alike for lines like Imaginext.

            However, a concern: where is the extra shelf space coming from to stock more toys/collectibles?
            I have a full service Target. I have never really been impressed by it. Michael's has had their Halloween out for a month. Home Depot has theirs out. Spirit is open, in spite of losing their building to Chik Fillet. Target's Halloween section is still school supplies.

            Not impressed.


            CCC.

            Comment

            • Werewolf
              Inhuman
              • Jul 14, 2003
              • 14616

              #7
              I'm not optimistic in the long run. Toys are just not in the DNA of Walmart or Target.

              Without a dedicated toy chain to try to crush I cannot see Walmart putting in the effort in the long run to maintain a large well stocked toy department. They will maybe up their game for a while in some markets and then lose interest. The Walmarts in my area are actually stocked worse than usual for this time of year. Popular high selling brands like Transformers go constantly un-stocked. They haven't restocked the Mega Construx Heroes since last December. The toy departments are small messy and sparsely stocked.


              The larger Target in my area has increased the size of the toy department slightly. While that sounds encouraging what it really means is the toy department is at the level where it used to be. To be totally fair they are doing a much better job than Walmart and you can see some actual effort being put into the toy department again. Will they keep this up in the long run? I doubt it. I think the chain is moving more into groceries.


              I don't think we will see a rebound in toy industry or hobby until a new dedicated year round toy store steps up to the plate. Party City's 48 temporary pop up Toy City stores isn't going to cut it.
              You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

              Comment

              • Mary Canary
                Career Member
                • Jun 21, 2017
                • 589

                #8
                Has there been any more news about the supposed return of Kay Bee Toys? I thought they were going to be back in malls this holiday season. Allegedly.

                Comment

                • Werewolf
                  Inhuman
                  • Jul 14, 2003
                  • 14616

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Mary Canary
                  Has there been any more news about the supposed return of Kay Bee Toys? I thought they were going to be back in malls this holiday season. Allegedly.
                  November for black Friday was the last update I heard.
                  You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

                  Comment

                  • Mego Newbie14
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jul 25, 2018
                    • 305

                    #10
                    Wasn't a former tru ceo trying to buy the intellectual properties so he could bring tru back?

                    Comment

                    • spockoda
                      Museum Super Collector
                      • Jan 14, 2018
                      • 198

                      #11
                      I think retailers have all but given up trying to compete with online sales. If a Target store doesn't have Megos, for example, and you ask about them what are they going to tell you? Order them online! I don't feel good about the future of toys because despite collector-oriented lines that are out there the future of toys still depends on little Bobby or little Marcy urging their parents to buy them the toys they want and the kids don't want toys, they want their devices. If there was money in toys, there would be stuff on the pegs. For over 20 years if I went to any kind of retail store that sold toys, that would be the first place I'm heading as soon as I hit the door. Now I might eventually get there if I have the time or I may not even bother. And they pretty much have nothing I have interest in even if I get there. People like me get misty eyed thinking of our old Megos, our vintage Star Wars figures, etc while the adults of tomorrow will get misty eyed thinking of their now defunct devices they played with. Sad.

                      Comment

                      • melstapler
                        Museum Super Collector
                        • Aug 2, 2014
                        • 198

                        #12
                        I recall reading that KB Toys might be opening seasonal popup stores for the holidays, but still haven't seen or heard anything as of yet. There were also rumors that TRU might return as a popup store for the holidays. Toy City popup stores have appeared recently in some states, but I haven't checked the permanent store locations for Party City to see if they stock the same merchandise as Toy City. It will be very important for any of these stores to have a variety of action figure lines such as Hasbro Marvel Legends, NECA, Mattel WWE, Mattel DC, Hasbro Star Wars, Jazzwares, McFarlane etc..

                        Comment

                        • MRP
                          Persistent Member
                          • Jul 19, 2016
                          • 2037

                          #13
                          Originally posted by melstapler
                          I recall reading that KB Toys might be opening seasonal popup stores for the holidays, but still haven't seen or heard anything as of yet. There were also rumors that TRU might return as a popup store for the holidays. Toy City popup stores have appeared recently in some states, but I haven't checked the permanent store locations for Party City to see if they stock the same merchandise as Toy City. It will be very important for any of these stores to have a variety of action figure lines such as Hasbro Marvel Legends, NECA, Mattel WWE, Mattel DC, Hasbro Star Wars, Jazzwares, McFarlane etc..
                          The TRU pop up is called Geoffrey's Toybox, is only in Kroger stores and their subsidiaries, and only stocks what were the generic store brand toys TRU carried, nothing from any other company. The one near here is 2 cheap cardboard fixtures full of generic babydolls, science toys, remote control toys, and plastic army men and dinosaurs. If you are expecting something that is a TRU revival, it's disappointing. It's more a way to liquidate all the generic stock at retail price rather than selling in bulk to some discount wholesaler.

                          -M
                          "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          😀
                          🥰
                          🤢
                          😎
                          😡
                          👍
                          👎