Walmart Lego general discussion

[spener90]

I have a couple Walmart's in the area that have their Lego section spread out across like 4 aisles... makes finding certain sets a pain. Not to mention the ones that put their clearance Lego somewhere you would never think to look, and then spread those sets out too..

I find this a lot too.  It seems they just mix everything in when it comes to building block sections.  I have been lucky enough to find some random clearances though.  Bought a lighthouse for $20 a few months ago, completely unmarked.  It really does make you question Walmart's business model though, they make a good profit, but it almost seems as though they have no organizational goal store to store.

[jaisonline]

It really does make you question Walmart's business model though, they make a good profit, but it almost seems as though they have no organizational goal store to store.

Unfort I think it comes down to how that corp treats most of their employees. Keeping them under the hours per week limit to minimize paying them benefits and other but related actions. Sad.

[hollingsworthless]

I have found more rural stores to have great clearance at times.

I found 5 6858 Catcycle Chase sets at a walmart in the middle of nowhere for $3 each.

[Alpinemaps]

I must have the saddest Walmart in the world.

 

The Friends aisle has one Mia's Magic Trick's.  Everything else is gone.  It's all stacked up with Barbie MegaBlocks.

 

The regular Lego aisle has MegaBlocks, puzzles, and miscellaneous other things all throughout.

 

Not a single thing on sale.  The Garden Section is the Garden Section - nothing on clearance.  The only clearance in the store is one short aisle with leftover Christmas stuff.  It looks like business as usual at this store.

[hollingsworthless]

Now that you mention the Friends sets, I noticed a couple days ago that my Walmart has all the newer Friends sets in an endcap display. But they've stuck it right next to the tire change area. You might look around for one of those endcaps.

[imperial_peter]

Just a heads up, in my neck of the woods, Sk Canada,  walmart will be fully stocked and ready to sell new star wars sets Monday morning a 7 am. Under contract not allowed to shelf these items before. Im setting my alarm. lol

 

Will be grabbing at least 5 kashyyyk battle packs. one or two to keep closed. My son and I have been waiting for these for a while.

 

Black series star wars figs will also be on the shelves. Im not sure which im more excited about!

[Kenxxx]

This is a first for me: Found this in the Lego aisle today...

My son and I looked at it more closely. It looked like Kai's head was there, and the bad guy's head-gear, but no legs, no torsos... other parts missing as well.  I found a hourly schlep looking like he was killing time in the toy department, and showed it to him.  I explained that my son and I are "experts" and we can tell that this bag is missing LOTS of parts... if anyone were unlucky enough to buy it, they'd be very disappointed... you really should remove this from the shelf.  He took it from me. Didn't say a word.  Looked like he was going to wait until I left the area, so he could put it back on the shelf ...

[biking_tiger]

This is a first for me: Found this in the Lego aisle today...

My son and I looked at it more closely. It looked like Kai's head was there, and the bad guy's head-gear, but no legs, no torsos... other parts missing as well.  I found a hourly schlep looking like he was killing time in the toy department, and showed it to him.  I explained that my son and I are "experts" and we can tell that this bag is missing LOTS of parts... if anyone were unlucky enough to buy it, they'd be very disappointed... you really should remove this from the shelf.  He took it from me. Didn't say a word.  Looked like he was going to wait until I left the area, so he could put it back on the shelf ...

See? Box condition (or even presence) is overrated. 

[colossus]

See? Box condition (or even presence) is overrated. 

I believe Amazon would market that as frustration free packaging since you don't have to rip the box open - save the kid an extra step before they can commence dispersing the Lego bricks across the floor.  So $0.88 for the assorted Lego bricks and $6 for the frustration free packaging

[Alpinemaps]

I believe Amazon would market that as frustration free packaging since you don't have to rip the box open - save the kid an extra step before they can commence dispersing the Lego bricks across the floor.  So $0.88 for the assorted Lego bricks and $6 for the frustration free packaging

You may be joking, but I have received a Lego item from AWD that was just as you described - just a bag with the parts and the instructions, and no box.

[Kenxxx]

OK... one more story.  Same Walmart as that last one... so I go there today to find one last 75919 Indominus Rex for $99. I look it over... it's got a little pinching from the security spider but otherwise in great shape.  I'm in a hurry, but luckily I find no one in line at the 20 items or less lane.  I hand over my item. She scans it, and I get out my money.  She starts working the security spider.  Obviously she doesn't have much skill at it... she's struggling with it... she's straining.  I see the wires pulled extra tight, digging deeper and deeper into the box edges... but I control myself.  Now... instead of laying it down and working on a nice flat surface right in front of her (the conveyor), she decides to pick it up and jam it half-diagonal cockeyed between the conveyor, her knee, and the bagging carousel. She continues to work at it... twist it... tug it... veins are starting to become prominent on her forehead (and mine)... then I stop her, "WAIT a minute!" I lift the box out of her hands and show her... when she jammed it down on the bagging carousel, she actually had skewered the box onto one of those metal prongs that the bags hang from.  There's a hole right in the middle of the back of the box the size of a quarter.  "Oh... sorry... do you want to exchange that for another?"... "That's the only one you have," I tell her... and just walk away.

[binici]

OK... one more story.  Same Walmart as that last one... so I go there today to find one last 75919 Indominus Rex for $99. I look it over... it's got a little pinching from the security spider but otherwise in great shape.  I'm in a hurry, but luckily I find no one in line at the 20 items or less lane.  I hand over my item. She scans it, and I get out my money.  She starts working the security spider.  Obviously she doesn't have much skill at it... she's struggling with it... she's straining.  I see the wires pulled extra tight, digging deeper and deeper into the box edges... but I control myself.  Now... instead of laying it down and working on a nice flat surface right in front of her (the conveyor), she decides to pick it up and jam it half-diagonal cockeyed between the conveyor, her knee, and the bagging carousel. She continues to work at it... twist it... tug it... veins are starting to become prominent on her forehead (and mine)... then I stop her, "WAIT a minute!" I lift the box out of her hands and show her... when she jammed it down on the bagging carousel, she actually had skewered the box onto one of those metal prongs that the bags hang from.  There's a hole right in the middle of the back of the box the size of a quarter.  "Oh... sorry... do you want to exchange that for another?"... "That's the only one you have," I tell her... and just walk away.

Surprisingly, she probably smelled the reseller in you and works secretly for TLG!

[kiltyoneal]

The manager is probably gonna give some lucky person an extra $5 off on that box!  

[Baseace]

I find this a lot too.  It seems they just mix everything in when it comes to building block sections.  I have been lucky enough to find some random clearances though.  Bought a lighthouse for $20 a few months ago, completely unmarked.  It really does make you question Walmart's business model though, they make a good profit, but it almost seems as though they have no organizational goal store to store.

I don't understand the retail model either.

One thing to remember is that the retail end of the business is not where the Wal-Mart company makes its money. They make their money in their economies of scale buying power in combination with their superior distribution model (part of the vertical integration plan Sam Walton designed and built decades ago). 

Each WM store is so different. In my area we have 4 WM (another under construction) and 1 SamsClub. Each of the WM stores is relatively unique in display and variety of offerings in LEGO and many other areas of the store. 

[Kenxxx]

Looks like 10695 is coming back (scans $30).  I saw this arrangement* at my 2 nearest stores.  In both stores they've added an extra top shelf to every aisle in the toy department.  Adding an extra 20% or so of shelf space... but I wonder how that's going to work for them? These shelves are close to 8 feet high.

(*Sorry... tried to include a 512Kb photo, but keep getting error message "You cannot upload file larger than 4.88 Mb")... hmm.

[LegoEdison]

bought 10x couple weeks ago @ $15. I bought all the mint box. it was gone the next week. I though they were going to goodwill or something. 

[2x4]

I find this a lot too.  It seems they just mix everything in when it comes to building block sections.  I have been lucky enough to find some random clearances though.  Bought a lighthouse for $20 a few months ago, completely unmarked.  It really does make you question Walmart's business model though, they make a good profit, but it almost seems as though they have no organizational goal store to store.

I don't understand the retail model either.

One thing to remember is that the retail end of the business is not where the Wal-Mart company makes its money. They make their money in their economies of scale buying power in combination with their superior distribution model (part of the vertical integration plan Sam Walton designed and built decades ago). 

Each WM store is so different. In my area we have 4 WM (another under construction) and 1 SamsClub. Each of the WM stores is relatively unique in display and variety of offerings in LEGO and many other areas of the store. 

/begin personal rant

Don't forget treating their employees like dirt and ensuring that every moderately skilled employee leaves to work at target instead, this ensuring they don't have anyone around to start a union, etc. PS- until I started buying lego to resell, I had never made a purchase at Walmart in my life. I still feel a little dirty/guilty whenever I walk in one. /end personal rant

[Bat man]

/personal rant back

Walmarts margins don't allow for the type of employee bennies as target. It's just not their thjng, why hold if against them.

[Kenxxx]

I returned to my local Walmart a couple 75095 UCS TIEs (@ $139.99 + tax) a few days ago.  They had arrived at my door a little beat up - lot's of creases, dents, loose/stretched seals (maybe resealed?)... and frankly, I was over-stocked. Lady at the return counter began tugging roughly at one box to open... almost ripped it open, then decided to cut the seals...  peeked inside for about 1/4 second, then sloppily resealed it with about a foot of box tape; literally tossed both boxes on the floor behind her.

 

Edited August 12, 2016 by jaisonline
removed the questionable content after discussing with mods.

[Average Guy]

I question the 'questionable content' question? 0.o

[dcdfan]

11 minutes ago, Average Guy said:

I question the 'questionable content' question? 0.o

We've been told (more than once) to not discuss what he had removed.

[Average Guy]

2 minutes ago, dcdfan said:

 

We've been told (more than once) to not discuss what he had removed.

I'm sorry but you answer must be in the form of a question. 0.o

It was a joke.

[fkane]

Next big mod change is going to be last week of June beginning of July. 

[hiflyer]

28 minutes ago, fkane said:

Next big mod change is going to be last week of June beginning of July. 

Non scientific observation of past is that any clearance happens 2 to 4 weeks before sectionis reset

[Kenxxx]

2 hours ago, fkane said:

Next big mod change is going to be last week of June beginning of July. 

I don't understand what this means... and what does the picture mean?