Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: The Walmart Peg & Shelf Update
“BMW” was passed along an interesting anecdote from someone …
“I ran into a Mattel rep at Walmart the other day. I asked him why there was no new stock and told him it’s been like that for months. He got out his iPad and scanned a single. He told me there is none on order (at this Walmart) and none in the warehouse. The he said something very strange. He said they are being discontinued. I questioned him on that and told him I didn’t think that was possible. He said Mattel isn’t discontinuing them, Walmart is. He said other stores will carry them, just not Walmart.”
After checking with some Walmart insiders, it’s NOT a company-wide policy. It may be that Walmart is shrinking down toys or it’s a temporary hold if they are moving sections of the store around, some SKU/master UPC’s were changed so it only appears this year’s is “EOL” but the new stock has a new code or of course, it might just be a mistake.
Walmart’s main problem as they have themselves admitted is that they do not enough employees … a manager and assistant managers of a section are supposed to keep watch and adjust inventory accordingly if they are low …
This is a store where the manager proactively keeps eye over the toy section to make sure it’s current and stocked.
It doesn’t hurt that they are a CARS fan (thanks for the update and great photos “Mythical Avengers Managers”)
Or as below, it’d be nice if Mattel shipped out more cases of PLANES F&R singles that weren’t just the same 9 releases over & over & over again.
So, if the stock is updated and constant, you live near a store where the manager is doing what they’re supposed to be doing and with assistant managers doing their part.
Unfortunately, with employee positions unfilled – other stores and CARS/PLANES shoppers do not have it as good …
So, while it might appear that CARS-PLANES are not on the plan-o, they are. In some stores, they just don’t have the staff to keep the section as they should … and of course, if they don’t know exactly what they are looking up or looking for, the information might be interpreted as OS and not coming back.
But for those that are (literally) plugged in, CARS is still in the system and available for stores to order and stock – whether they do so is another story.
Thanks, “Mythical Avengers Managers” and others for filling in the blanks and the nice photos. Thanks!
metroxing
28 December 2014
Disney Pixar CARS, Disney Pixar CARS 3, Disney Planes, Disney Planes Fire & Rescue, Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS
23 Comments
I know all seem to be finding a lack of new cars or even old cars, but, they should be coming soon. Today (1/3) I was picking up meds at my local Walgreens and noticed a Kit Revster on the pegs in the toy section. A bit much at $4.79 plus tax, but, that’s the first I’ve seen. Fred Meyer stocked their overpriced Cars section last night with Louis LaRue, which is pretty good for Fred Meyer. Patience!!!
It’s also inventory time. Not much is pushed out of the warehouses. There is also another angle. The west coast ports are locked in labor negotiations. There was an article in the local Tacoma News Tribune concerning the protracted labor dispute. Target tried to get many containers out of the Tacoma port after hours which is possible at extra cost, but, they couldn’t anyone to open the gates. In some of my local Targets there has been an overabundance of Cars, but, no new cases. I always figure Christmas is a good time of year to get rid of old stagnant inventory. People will buy anything so the kids are not disappointed. No way Wal-Mart will discontinue carrying Pixar Cars.
My WM in eastern PA had 3 singles on the pegs today. Same 3 as last week. This particular WM is fairly new and fairly busy, but their pegs have been abandoned since January.
Plenty of planes though that nobody seems to be buying. Even the Hotwheels pegs look way understocked.
I visited at least 20 Walmarts on my trip to California, ever store bar none had no new 2015 releases and the pegs were completely empty accept for the Toons, I spoke to half a dozen managers and was told no stock in the back and none on orders, managers advised they are limiting stock
Yes John most Walmarts are waiting for the new MODs to drop for 2015 some employees dont wait til then and you will see some stores with new 2015 diecast and some with none.Also these stores are trying to push product out before new merchandise can be set up for 2015 you will notice alot of clearance in these stores
I remember when the 2013 to 2014 transition was occuring at Walmart this time last year and I was told by a Manager that they were discontinued. But of course we all know they ended up with 2014 Cars. So I believe its just a transitional thing.
CONTEST ENTRY
I would mostly likely meet up with Frosty in the small Australian town of Tumot (And NEVER in a big city like Sidney,melbourne or Brisbanet!)
?
Well, I can say this. I traveled along Interstate 10 and stopped at Walmarts in a 250 stretch of I10. This was from Dec 23 through Dec 27. Not one Walmart had stock in cars. Not one store. Empty pegs except for the old Toons that have been out for a year. I visited one of the largest and busiest Walmarts in one city that had 2015 Cars stocked over Thanksgiving, and that store was devoid of any Cars except for left over RS 500 1/2 and of course tons of Fire and Rescue singles. 2 stores had the 3 packs of 500 1/2 with Ramone and the Fire and Rescue 3 packs (Cad, Dusty and Ol Jammer.) Those 3 packs were the only new stock I saw. Not one had Cars singles mainline.
(MET: That’s pretty amazing and scary).
Stores CAN and do order toys stock IF and when they want to.
Problem is, MOST stores and managers could care LESS about toys!
Most stores here STOPPED stocking Pixar CARS a long time ago and recently only stocked Pixar PLANES.
In fact, some stores recently got overloaded with PLANES.
Surprisingly, most stores SOLD-OUT of whatever toys they did have BEFORE Christmas and as of today, have NOT restocked any toys?!
Most stores here have EMPTY pegs and shelves not only in toys but, throughout the entire store!?
I would also like to mention how bad Wal-Mart stores were during the holiday shopping season with few to no employees including ridiculously too few cashiers and annoyingly LONG lines at checkout???
I do not care how cheap prices are, I will NOT shop when a store does NOT have any stock and forces customers to wait in LONG checkout lines!!!
Wal-Mart need to worry LESS about what it’s employees are wearing and MORE about stocking pegs and shelves AND getting customers out the door a whole lot FASTER!
On the comment that WM’s managers do not “order” stock (admittedly perhaps this is store specific, so yes, I am generalizing here…) but I know for a fact this is not universal. My WM was out of singles earlier this year and didn’t restock for a long time. I eventually saw a manager in the aisle and inquired. She scanned the tag, punched a couple buttons, and said they would be on the shelf in a week or so. And yes, in a week or so a new batch of singles was stocked.
Anyone willing to get me a RS500-1/2 3-pack? Our paltry WMs never got them and WM online states it is now Sold Out 🙁
The set is online again, $12.86, a sale price.
http://tinyurl.com/qcoyh9d
My local Walmarts look like a tornado hit the Cars section. They don’t have much, and what they do have it thrown all over the place like crazy. Cars sold really well in my area this holiday – almost every store (Walmart, Target, K-Mart, TRU) pretty much sold out of Cars/Planes stuff. But, they never put more out, so it is almost impossible to buy anything now.
I hope the stores pick up a little and start getting new cars!
Are we sure it’s not just a 2014 UPC Assortment # vs. a 2015 UPC Assortment #? I recall this same issue about a year ago.
Are we sure it’s not just a 2014 UPC Assortment # vs. a 2015 UPC Assortment #? I recall this same issue about a year agom
COMMENT AWAITING MODERATION, sigh…
Are we sure it’s not just a 2014 UPC Assortment # vs. a 2015 UPC Assortment #? I recall this same issue about a year ago.
Try #3…
Are we sure it’s not just a 2014 UPC Assortment # vs. a 2015 UPC Assortment #? I recall this same issue about a year ago.
I’m starting to think that TakeFiveaDay is a reference to the number of attempts one needs to make a comment stick.
Are we sure it’s not just a 2014 UPC Assortment # vs. a 2015 UPC Assortment #? I recall this same issue about a year ago.
I spoke to a Walmart toy manager a few days ago and asked him why there hasn’t been any new Cars merchandise in months. He said he has made 3 orders but they keep being canceled. Again, might be just this store but all the Walmart’s in my area have empty Cars pegs. Some don’t even have a single Single on the pegs!
Also…
Spoke to another Walmart toy manager about the empty pegs and he said he doesn’t order merchandise, it is sent (I wonder by who, the Cars fairy?). He claims that no Cars merchandise has been sent. He doesn’t know why (and from his attitude, I gathered he really didn’t care either).
(MET: Nailed it. I think the VW Bug with antenna is the CARS Fairy, right? All he/she needs is a wand. 🙂 ).
Are we sure it’s not just a 2014 UPC Assortment # vs. a 2015 UPC Assortment #? I recall this same issue about a year ago.