Distribution is still a problem

[NatoGreavesy]

And this was the year things were supposed to be better. It's a joke.

To be fair, there have been serious, serious extenuating circumstances this year.

Everyone in the world has far more important things on their mind than toy distribution.

[Yan_MCX]

Maybe we just need to face reality, either Mattel or Mega doesn't care about the customer base.

If they did, they wouldn't leave store orders unfulfilled, would spend more time creating new molds and characters instead of producing multiple recolors of Master Chief and HeMan that are left indefinitely peg warming and wouldn't show all this new merchandise that never seems to actually make it to retail.

This year alone I have had three orders from Entertainment Earth canceled and seven orders from Amazon canceled because Mattel never sent them their inventory.

Targets around here have next to nothing at all on the shelves, let alone anything new. WalMarts are glutted with unwanted single card figures and Dollar General, the daggum discount stores, charge 1.5 times the regular retail for the sets they get.

And this was the year things were supposed to be better. It's a joke.

These types of messages are discouraging. I've been repeating the same message for a while now, including on this forum, but I'm going to say it again.

Our distribution has suffered lately and especially the past couple of years. Our team has been working hard to secure retail placement for our product lines and we are just starting to see the results. Believe it or not, you can't just snap your fingers and have products show up on shelves at Walmart and Target. These things are planned months and months in advance.

Walmart, Target, Amazon and other retailers are supporting our Fall 2020 Halo line. The products we've announced are literally just starting to ship from our warehouses now. Some of them are still on the assembly lines! They're going to show up in stores gradually over the next few weeks. (Probably North America first. Could be a little later for some regions.)

I understand people are frustrated and don't want to take my word for it. All I can say is check your stores in a few weeks and see for yourself.

Finally - and it's weird that this needs to be said but - we care! Nobody at Mega or Mattel is interesting in creating toys and then hoarding them in our warehouses instead of selling them to people who want to buy them. That would be a terrible business model.

[81Ceta_Deta]

The fact that they respond and explain why they're having (had hehe) difficulties in a calm and kind manor should be enough to tell you they care.


I'd actually kind of like to hear more about the planning to distribute sets and such. (I am not being sarcastic)

[Zarry]

Maybe we just need to face reality, either Mattel or Mega doesn't care about the customer base.

If they did, they wouldn't leave store orders unfulfilled, would spend more time creating new molds and characters instead of producing multiple recolors of Master Chief and HeMan that are left indefinitely peg warming and wouldn't show all this new merchandise that never seems to actually make it to retail.

This year alone I have had three orders from Entertainment Earth canceled and seven orders from Amazon canceled because Mattel never sent them their inventory.

Targets around here have next to nothing at all on the shelves, let alone anything new. WalMarts are glutted with unwanted single card figures and Dollar General, the daggum discount stores, charge 1.5 times the regular retail for the sets they get.

And this was the year things were supposed to be better. It's a joke.

How many eons have you been complaining about this? I lost track..

[Spartanz19]

This is actually a really funny thread to read through. Yeah, distribution is a problem, it always has been, but they promised they're working on it. I guess people just need to learn some patience and wait for toys.

[81Ceta_Deta]

Maybe we just need to face reality, either Mattel or Mega doesn't care about the customer base.

If they did, they wouldn't leave store orders unfulfilled, would spend more time creating new molds and characters instead of producing multiple recolors of Master Chief and HeMan that are left indefinitely peg warming and wouldn't show all this new merchandise that never seems to actually make it to retail.

This year alone I have had three orders from Entertainment Earth canceled and seven orders from Amazon canceled because Mattel never sent them their inventory.

Targets around here have next to nothing at all on the shelves, let alone anything new. WalMarts are glutted with unwanted single card figures and Dollar General, the daggum discount stores, charge 1.5 times the regular retail for the sets they get.

And this was the year things were supposed to be better. It's a joke.

How many eons have you been complaining about this? I lost track..

Idk dude. I mean, May, April, March, 2019.... i think four?


jk

[Hicks_Royel]

Maybe we just need to face reality, either Mattel or Mega doesn't care about the customer base.

If they did, they wouldn't leave store orders unfulfilled, would spend more time creating new molds and characters instead of producing multiple recolors of Master Chief and HeMan that are left indefinitely peg warming and wouldn't show all this new merchandise that never seems to actually make it to retail.

This year alone I have had three orders from Entertainment Earth canceled and seven orders from Amazon canceled because Mattel never sent them their inventory.

Targets around here have next to nothing at all on the shelves, let alone anything new. WalMarts are glutted with unwanted single card figures and Dollar General, the daggum discount stores, charge 1.5 times the regular retail for the sets they get.

And this was the year things were supposed to be better. It's a joke.

These types of messages are discouraging. I've been repeating the same message for a while now, including on this forum, but I'm going to say it again.

Our distribution has suffered lately and especially the past couple of years. Our team has been working hard to secure retail placement for our product lines and we are just starting to see the results. Believe it or not, you can't just snap your fingers and have products show up on shelves at Walmart and Target. These things are planned months and months in advance.

Walmart, Target, Amazon and other retailers are supporting our Fall 2020 Halo line. The products we've announced are literally just starting to ship from our warehouses now. Some of them are still on the assembly lines! They're going to show up in stores gradually over the next few weeks. (Probably North America first. Could be a little later for some regions.)

I understand people are frustrated and don't want to take my word for it. All I can say is check your stores in a few weeks and see for yourself.

Finally - and it's weird that this needs to be said but - we care! Nobody at Mega or Mattel is interesting in creating toys and then hoarding them in our warehouses instead of selling them to people who want to buy them. That would be a terrible business model.

So is having places like Amazon and Entertainment Earth cancel orders because they are unable to fulfill them. I wouldn't care one way or the other about Target, WalMart or any other store out there if the orders I placed online actually got filled everytime.

It's weird that I have to keep saying this but those two places are willing to sell your product and you couldn't even get them the inventory they needed.

The Banished Marauder, the Radar Tower or the Banished Turret. The CoD WWII Fighter Strike and the Desert Strike care package. All orders EE or Amazon have canceled over the last year or so because they just don't have them.

An email, June 29, 2020 from Entertainment Earth:

MTFVF98D, 1, Mega Construx Call of Duty Weapon Crate 2020 Mix 1 Case,
CANCELLED

That's discouraging too.

The best part is Amazon only recently canceled the orders for the turret and tower. July 10 according to my email. I had given up some time ago but it was funny that they finally let me know it wasn't happening as if maybe they were hoping for a different outcome all this time.

This is actually a really funny thread to read through. Yeah, distribution is a problem, it always has been, but they promised they're working on it. I guess people just need to learn some patience and wait for toys.

Sure. Whatever you say. I will patiently wait for any of the sets I mention above to show up at my local WalMart. Then, wow, you'll have the last laugh, won't you?

[NatoGreavesy]

I'm sure I've said this before, but I think your issue lies more with these sites you're ordering from giving false hope and creating unfair expectations by offering pre-orders on stock they haven't secured.

Frankly I find the whole idea of pre-orders kind of insane, because when you think about it, these companies are taking people's money on the promise of delivering something they literally don't have.

[Spartanz19]

Maybe we just need to face reality, either Mattel or Mega doesn't care about the customer base.

If they did, they wouldn't leave store orders unfulfilled, would spend more time creating new molds and characters instead of producing multiple recolors of Master Chief and HeMan that are left indefinitely peg warming and wouldn't show all this new merchandise that never seems to actually make it to retail.

This year alone I have had three orders from Entertainment Earth canceled and seven orders from Amazon canceled because Mattel never sent them their inventory.

Targets around here have next to nothing at all on the shelves, let alone anything new. WalMarts are glutted with unwanted single card figures and Dollar General, the daggum discount stores, charge 1.5 times the regular retail for the sets they get.

And this was the year things were supposed to be better. It's a joke.

These types of messages are discouraging. I've been repeating the same message for a while now, including on this forum, but I'm going to say it again.

Our distribution has suffered lately and especially the past couple of years. Our team has been working hard to secure retail placement for our product lines and we are just starting to see the results. Believe it or not, you can't just snap your fingers and have products show up on shelves at Walmart and Target. These things are planned months and months in advance.

Walmart, Target, Amazon and other retailers are supporting our Fall 2020 Halo line. The products we've announced are literally just starting to ship from our warehouses now. Some of them are still on the assembly lines! They're going to show up in stores gradually over the next few weeks. (Probably North America first. Could be a little later for some regions.)

I understand people are frustrated and don't want to take my word for it. All I can say is check your stores in a few weeks and see for yourself.

Finally - and it's weird that this needs to be said but - we care! Nobody at Mega or Mattel is interesting in creating toys and then hoarding them in our warehouses instead of selling them to people who want to buy them. That would be a terrible business model.

So is having places like Amazon and Entertainment Earth cancel orders because they are unable to fulfill them. I wouldn't care one way or the other about Target, WalMart or any other store out there if the orders I placed online actually got filled everytime.

It's weird that I have to keep saying this but those two places are willing to sell your product and you couldn't even get them the inventory they needed.

The Banished Marauder, the Radar Tower or the Banished Turret. The CoD WWII Fighter Strike and the Desert Strike care package. All orders EE or Amazon have canceled over the last year or so because they just don't have them.

An email, June 29, 2020 from Entertainment Earth:

MTFVF98D, 1, Mega Construx Call of Duty Weapon Crate 2020 Mix 1 Case,
CANCELLED

That's discouraging too.

The best part is Amazon only recently canceled the orders for the turret and tower. July 10 according to my email. I had given up some time ago but it was funny that they finally let me know it wasn't happening as if maybe they were hoping for a different outcome all this time.

This is actually a really funny thread to read through. Yeah, distribution is a problem, it always has been, but they promised they're working on it. I guess people just need to learn some patience and wait for toys.

Sure. Whatever you say. I will patiently wait for any of the sets I mention above to show up at my local WalMart. Then, wow, you'll have the last laugh, won't you?

Bro, sorry, didn't think I'd offend you that badly. All I'm saying is that ever since TRU exploded, I haven't had a single consistent source for Mega. Yeah, I wanted the new sets too, especially the scorpion, but I'm not that upset that I missed them. Mega has literally promised that distribution will be fixed, so I'm content to wait and see it unfold. If not, then there's nothing I can do about it. I love collecting these things, yes, but I will wait.

[Hicks_Royel]

All I know is that anyone can promise a lot of things. A year of marginal return on those promises and a response of, "it's hard so it takes a while" doesn't account for when stores do want to want sell me things and can't because the company providing them with merchandise doesn't.

That's entirely different than a company refusing to make space to carry their product. That is a failure by the distributor to get product where the demand is.

You wanted the scorpion tank. WalMart, Target and Amazon offered that online here in the states for a while and those orders got filled. I don't know if that's the same for the rest of the world. But maybe it wasn't. And that's bad too.

But not only has distribution been bad, it's also been inconsistent.