Hi All

 

Walmart stock on anything exclusive or even sets over $100 is non existent right now, is this a time of the year thing whilst they restock or am I missing something?   Sorry if its a newbie question.    I managed to get some Delorean's and T1's with my employ discount before Thanksgiving and was hoping to pick up some other bits but apart from the Ecto, Sea Cow and a modular the websites empty.   Infact shelves of normal stock at my WM was empty too, thought almost a month xmas they would have restocked already.

 

Thanks

 

Stu

After the shopping season stocks are always low or gone completely. By spring all big box will be stocked up again.

how good is the employee discount on Legos?  I dont think it would become too hard to befriend one of the stockers roaming the floors at 1 am when I do my shopping.

this year definitely feels like things are more out of stock to me at walmart and target. and there are no national retailer deals. 

 

a year ago this week walmart had great deals on SSD, HH, AA TB with gift cards and they were all in stock for a couple of weeks and even months in some cases .  granted these sets except for TB are gone but still i don't see many other exclusive sets in stock at walmart that we expect to retire in the next 6 months unlike last year.

 

GE, TH, PS, PC  - all easily obtained from target, walmart tru last year at this time.  this year can't even keep PS or PC in stock at target even with a 40% bump over msrp.

 

also the space allocated to lego at walmart and target stores by me has been reduced by 25-50% and they can't even keep that stocked - the exception being Friends which is always completely stocked.  walmarts near me still have downtown bakery, heartlake high, olivias house and pet salon in stock with no discounts.

 

maybe some of this is the brickpicker effect but i wonder if there is something else going on in the supply distribution chain?

Edited February 1, 201510 yr by cladner

this year definitely feels like things are more out of stock to me at walmart and target. and there are no national retailer deals. 

 

a year ago this week walmart had great deals on SSD, HH, AA TB with gift cards and they were all in stock for a couple of weeks and even months in some cases .  granted these sets except for TB are gone but still i don't see many other exclusive sets in stock at walmart that we expect to retire in the next 6 months unlike last year.

 

GE, TH, PS, PC  - all easily obtained from target, walmart tru last year at this time.  this year can't even keep PS or PC in stock at target even with a 40% bump over msrp.

 

also the space allocated to lego at walmart and target stores by me has been reduced by 25-50% and they can't even keep that stocked - the exception being Friends which is always completely stocked.  walmarts near me still have downtown bakery, heartlake high, olivias house and pet salon in stock with no discounts.

 

maybe some of this is the brickpicker effect but i wonder if there is something else going on in the supply distribution chain?

Well said I think so

After the shopping season stocks are always low or gone completely. By spring all big box will be stocked up again.

Exactly. Pretty much the same story every year.

There are major delays at the ports. The number of containers to be offloaded has doubled in the past year according to a member of the dock workers on the news. Both labor and mgmt are accusing the other side of deliberately slowing down productivity. I think there are like 20+ Maersk EEE type ships queued up at any given time, just waiting in line to offload. I would assume there are some containers with Lego stuck on a few of these ships.

https://www.airandsurface.com/blog/tag/port-congestion/

There are major delays at the ports. The number of containers to be offloaded has doubled in the past year according to a member of the dock workers on the news. Both labor and mgmt are accusing the other side of deliberately slowing down productivity. I think there are like 20+ Maersk EEE type ships queued up at any given time, just waiting in line to offload. I would assume there are some containers with Lego stuck on a few of these ships.https://www.airandsurface.com/blog/tag/port-congestion/

Doesn't US Lego come through Mexico on truck?

The port is evident on all other toys at target but I would think little Lego comes through the port and Denmark ships I would think go to east coast ports

No idea just guesses on my part

Finished product may not arrive in these ports bc of Lego distribution, but if there are input materials coming from China (plastic pellets, cardboard, etc.) it will be on these ships.

TBQH, I also have no idea, just postulating.

Edited February 2, 201510 yr by imirish11

That's a great point if it goes to that port and routes to Mexico since we make not much here any more.

I am not sure where raw materials to Mexico routes. Interesting idea.

That's a great point if it goes to that port and routes to Mexico since we make not much here any more.

I am not sure where raw materials to Mexico routes. Interesting idea.

 

Sure is fun to speculate, but Mexico has plenty of large ports.. on both sides... : )

Sure is fun to speculate, but Mexico has plenty of large ports.. on both sides... : )

 

Yep I would assume Mexico does not need us for anything to make them.  Nobody needs us much any more.

At least some companies here stamped "Designed in California" on product that comes from afar. LOL