Not idiots, marketing strategy. Bandai does this with figures all the time.

 

Walgreens exclusive found and purchased at gamestop...i had no idea gamestop traded games for action figures

 

Here was my thinking on the matter -

Hasbro:
Walgreens 2-pack = $20
Fastclash from eBay = $25-30
Pounce from eBay = $35-40
Total = $80-90

Takara:
Autobot Clones: $36
Decepticons Clones: $36
Total: $72 + shipping

So, even though buying the Hasbro box set Clones individually is a rip-off for legends-class figures, getting the other two at basically normal retail helps offset that, and puts the total price pretty close to the Takara sets.

So with the prices being similar (and no weapons or other perks on the Takara releases), I went with the deco I liked better, which was the Hasbro versions.

 

This was MY first thought, too.

Second was--when the hell are these Walgreens Exclusives going to show up at a Walgreens? because the TF stock at my many Walgreens are anything but green.

 

It's still Gamestop, the EB Games name was more popular outside the US.

 

Walgreens exclusive in the US. Walgreens doesn't exist in Canada as far as I know, so their exclusivity doesn't apply there.

 

That's simply not true. In a series of posts by...(I'm so sorry, I cannot think of the screen name right now, it's late and my brain is broke) dude with GoBots Turbo as his avatar, he explained why there's not a lot of new stuff out there and it has to do with Walmart dictating to Hasbro.

BBTS and stores like it would LOVE to get Hasbro product out there now, but they have to wait for Walmart to get first dibs before they can even solicit the preorder listings, let alone the actual product. Sometimes by months. He ran a store and was basically forced out because he couldn't order from Hasbro until the window was open to him.

The retailers do want these products, they're sick and tired of waiting for Hasbro to ship them. It's part of the reason why TCP and ToyDojo get early Asian shipments at higher prices because they know we want them now, not months later. Think of how many canceled orders BBTS has had to put up with because we found figures in store and sometimes on eBay for cheaper (note, I said sometimes and I'll even say rarely, but it does happen on occasion) and long before BBTS can even put it out for preorder.

Heck, people found Overlord at Walmart before his preorder even processed at BBTS. Now, imagine smaller stores such as TCP and ToyDojo and imagine how restrained they feel.

Yeah, I'd love to know...

But this isn't entirely accurate. What about all of the canceled TRU preorders for Trypticon? He's also not readily available at the brick and mortar stores, either. I'm sure they want to sell him, I'm sure other stores want the products they can move, but if they're not getting shipped to them, who's fault is that?

Some of it's at least Hasbro's.

I miss EB Games and Babbage's. Once they all formed into GameStop, it lost its appeal and charm. Good, good memories back then. *sigh*

EDIT: RKillian! That's it. (Sorry, man. No disrespect.   )

Oh and there's this little tidbit from the Voodoo Animus thread:

Voodoo Robots Salus (Ratchet) and Animus (Ironhide) (For those who don't want to click)

Yes, I know, that's Voodoo they're talking about in that specific message, but it can be applied to any manufacturer they work with. Including Hasbro. And if Walmart is jerking them around like RKillian said (and I believe he's right), then yeah, it's on Hasbro and not the retailers.

Sure, they might delay a figure and put it in a certain quarter to help maximize sales, which is understandable, but BBTS has been trying to sell figures for months and months and they end up getting shafted having to wait so long. I'm sure they sit there and bristle at the thought of their competition getting early releases, even at higher prices, getting the jump on them because of Hasbro and Walmart sticking it to them.

Now, in the case of Walmart, yeah, I believe they held back on Hot Rod and his exclusivity until it worked in their favor. And did it ever, he sold out fast. And when he's restocked, he'll sell out again, as well. And Hasbro wants their stuff sold, that's part of the reason why they use store exclusives as a channel to distribute their products, but I find it odd that Hot Rod is becoming a general release product after all this time. I'm betting Walmart said yes, then said no, then said yes again once Amazon offered it up.

Walmart is the petty playground bully child of the retail market, they get their way and then they play ball. That's not a Hasbro doing, that's a "Walmart sucks!" doing.

 

you havent missed out on anything, brainstorm is still easily available on walgreens website
Transformers Generations Titans Return Autobot Teslor and Brainstorm | Walgreens

youve only missed out if you absolutely must buy in store and not online, which is a choice

 

Accurate.

EB Games has been getting most if not all of Hasbro's Walgreen's exclusives for Marvel Legends and SW Black, but I believe this is the first TF exclusive they have carried.

The interesting part of it is that they tend to get them before they show up at Walgreen's.

 

Wal mart and Wal greens are unrelated stores, right? What does the wal stand for..? Wall sales, like Paris Hilton says..? Should I open a store called Walformers? Wahlbertron?

Our Electronics Boutique had the FF Legends and transparent Obiwan recently. No wal labels.. Too bad they didnt have Brainstorm. I never saw that Velocitron set before though, was it a Toys R Us US exclusive?

 

For Walmart, the "Wal" part is a reference to the founding Walton family. Much like Kresge family that started Kmart.