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Post by Rainsong on Jun 23, 2014 0:07:03 GMT -5
So, I'm not sure what's up. I saw the Series 3 promo poster and it says "Leading Girl's Collectible"...
But if that's true, there is something seriously wrong with this picture. When we have shelves lined with dolls, ponies, etc... but only a 2ft wide by 3ft tall and 1dt wide by 3ft tall cart (only half of the whole thing, even!) and nothing more for Zelfs in the ONE STORE you can find them in ...
How can that even be true?
Moose toys will refer you to Amazon - where prices are at least $2 if not $5+ higher than in store. Walmart andTarget have never carried the Zelf lines much - we found some on close-out around last Christmas at Walmart, and all I've ever seen were the Series One mini pots at Target. All we have here is Toys'R'Us - and their display is, as I listed above, tiny.
Last time we were in they had 12 Series 1 Flamy, 2 Masquerade Flamy, and 1 Birchy. Aside from that they had 2 Tree houses, the same 2 Mini Zelf Greenhouses and 2 Color Me Zelfs they've had since October, and a couple Venus Flytrap salons.
We haven't seen Mini Zelf eggs since Easter, and haven't seen Flower pots since around January. They've got one row of pegs (3-4), and the rest is all shelves.
We're either in one really bad distribution area, or the "Leading Girl's Collectible" line doesn't apply here?
I sent them an e-mail asking if we're missing something... like, another retailer or two?
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Post by Galexia on Jun 23, 2014 0:40:05 GMT -5
I sent them an email today complaining about Quality control and distribution!
We have so many Flitters, Garny's, Spellinda's and Lunanne's at our store..:/
Contact Moose, contact Target! Tell them we want them!
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Post by Rainsong on Jun 23, 2014 1:00:32 GMT -5
I sent them an email today complaining about Quality control and distribution! We have so many Flitters, Garny's, Spellinda's and Lunanne's at our store..:/ Contact Moose, contact Target! Tell them we want them! LOL Actually right before I posted this I sent Moose Toys an e-mail:
Hello!
My son, Mother and I all collect Zelfs. They seemed to be fairly popular, but we have only ever been able to find them at Toys'R'Us. In the last few months, they've cut back on how many they carry, limiting them to one 2-foot wide and 3ft tall (roughly) shelf, and another 1ft x 3ft section. They were still selling well before that, and even after - but now they seem to mostly have the same one or two Zelfs (I counted twelve Flamy the other day), with a handful of left over stock from Wave 1. They stopped carrying the mini Zelfs at all just after Easter.
I'd go to Amazon, but the prices are higher than in-store every time I check, even without shipping.
We're located in Salem, Or - are there any other nearby places that have Zelfs that we're missing, or are we stuck being unable to find your products?
I got a little blunt at the end ... >.> |
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Post by Galexia on Jun 23, 2014 1:28:41 GMT -5
I sent them an email today complaining about Quality control and distribution! We have so many Flitters, Garny's, Spellinda's and Lunanne's at our store..:/ Contact Moose, contact Target! Tell them we want them! LOL Actually right before I posted this I sent Moose Toys an e-mail:
Hello!
My son, Mother and I all collect Zelfs. They seemed to be fairly popular, but we have only ever been able to find them at Toys'R'Us. In the last few months, they've cut back on how many they carry, limiting them to one 2-foot wide and 3ft tall (roughly) shelf, and another 1ft x 3ft section. They were still selling well before that, and even after - but now they seem to mostly have the same one or two Zelfs (I counted twelve Flamy the other day), with a handful of left over stock from Wave 1. They stopped carrying the mini Zelfs at all just after Easter.
I'd go to Amazon, but the prices are higher than in-store every time I check, even without shipping.
We're located in Salem, Or - are there any other nearby places that have Zelfs that we're missing, or are we stuck being unable to find your products?
I got a little blunt at the end ... >.> They're just going to say TRU :/ We need to tell them and Target we want them!! |
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Post by Rainsong on Jun 23, 2014 3:50:04 GMT -5
I don't get how they can think this is a good idea. It's an idiotic move to limit yourself to a chain of toy stores that's not only usually overpriced, but limited in reach. Target and Walmart have way more stores in regions where TRU isn't even a thought, let alone a feasible place to hope over and check for a $7 toy at.
I know they aren't US based, but by limiting themselves this much, they are shooting themselves in the foot. They have something that could be huge, but people aren't seeing it because it's NOT out there. It looks like they at least had small groups in some stores other than TRU at some point, but introducing a new product takes time and patience - neither of which I saw. I never saw them widely available ANYWHERE else - a handful on clearance at Walmart hardly counts.
Target is the king of this sort of toy - it would fit in on their aisles perfectly. Walmarts vary; we have two in the area and one has a toy selection that is complete junk (unless you want legos) - and the other has a toy section 8 double aisles long. Makes no sense to me, but the Zelfs would fit in there, too. I see their other products in Target and Walmart, so they can't say they've no idea how to get into these stores.
Even Wlagreens, Rite-Aid, and more local places would do well with them. I can see them at our Local Fred Meyers (Kroger owns them, they're a NW thing) would do well.
So what the hell is going on? Pardon the language. But it doesn't make ANY SENSE at all.
Do they just not want American sales on Zelfs?
*flails* I'll stop ranting and shut up now >.>
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Post by Snap Jack on Jun 23, 2014 4:49:43 GMT -5
I think the American market is too big for Moose to handle alone.
They should really hire a distributor, that could do wonders for them.
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Post by Garny on Jun 23, 2014 11:42:44 GMT -5
England have a similar problem with Pokémon. There's just not enough stock over here at all, especially in comparison to the US.
I sometimes wonder if it has something to do with the sheer amount of unique stuff over in the US - There's an incredible amount of stuff over there already, and only a handful of it ever reaches Europe/Australia. As such, there's not as much for the kids to choose from here, so there's a higher chance of Zelfs getting picked up, and thus higher profits can be obtained.
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Post by Snap Jack on Jun 23, 2014 12:55:33 GMT -5
England have a similar problem with Pokémon. There's just not enough stock over here at all, especially in comparison to the US. I sometimes wonder if it has something to do with the sheer amount of unique stuff over in the US - There's an incredible amount of stuff over there already, and only a handful of it ever reaches Europe/Australia. As such, there's not as much for the kids to choose from here, so there's a higher chance of Zelfs getting picked up, and thus higher profits can be obtained. Talking about Pokémon merch, I was in Tokyo 2 months ago... IT WAS AMAZING.  Happiest day of my ENTIRE LIFE.  My stuff. <3 /end of this unrelated to Zelfs post |
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Post by Garny on Jun 23, 2014 13:26:36 GMT -5
Awesome! I've been to the Tokyo and Yokohama Pokémon Centers, I went crazy while I was over there XD
I approve of your Squirtles! One of my absolute faves <3
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Post by werepuppy on Jun 23, 2014 16:12:07 GMT -5
I think Garny's hit it on the head; there really isn't as much to choose from in the UK, especially not at 'pocket money' prices, so Zelfs have become really popular in that sense.
Also: OMG LOOK AT ALL THE POKÉMON STUFF. I'd love to go to Tokyo, though I think I'd spend all my time in Akibahabra.
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Post by dazzlekitty on Jun 23, 2014 16:14:13 GMT -5
This kind of worries me they will be discontinued in the US. I can't afford to import them.....
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Post by Violet on Jun 23, 2014 16:20:42 GMT -5
Maybe they're having a hard time convincing the American stores that the Zelfs will sell? I'm sure they WANT Zelfs to be sold in more American stores, but that doesn't mean the stores will pick up the line. Let's face it: American stores are so dominated by Mattel that smaller/lesser known companies have a difficult time getting in. That's one of the issues right there, because it means less shelf space for lesser-known companies. By the way, Snap Jack, you're a nice-looking guy!  |
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Post by Violet on Jun 23, 2014 16:26:43 GMT -5
This kind of worries me they will be discontinued in the US. I can't afford to import them..... They aren't being discontinued at Toys R Us in the U.S., unless it's news I just haven't heard yet. ... |
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Post by Galexia on Jun 23, 2014 17:35:52 GMT -5
Just to let everyone know that each wave is discontinued after the new wave comes out so if anyone ever says they're discontinued they're talking about series 1!
All you US Zelfies contact target and tell them you want then to carry Zelfs in their stores!
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Post by Dorothy-Doe on Jun 23, 2014 18:36:31 GMT -5
Maybe they're having a hard time convincing the American stores that the Zelfs will sell? I'm sure they WANT Zelfs to be sold in more American stores, but that doesn't mean the stores will pick up the line. I think Violet has hit the nail on the head. It's not that Moose doesn't want their product to be in lots of stores, available to everyone -- naturally, they'd love to sell bazillions of Zelfs! But if they can't convince American retailers that this is a product which will sell well here, they simply can't expand the line. I'm sure the Zelfs product line was pitched to many major USA retailers, Target included (since Target carries other Moose products, like Trash Pack), and the buyers for those stores probably felt that these were just some dumb troll dolls, and that troll dolls are not so passé. If anyone remembers the now-defunct doll line called Trollz, you might also remember that Target carried tons of them, and even had lots of exclusives...and they just did not sell. They were on clearance for ages, and Target could barely even give them away! So yeah, I imagine that Target buyers would view anything resembling a troll doll with a huge dose of skepticism. Granted, this is all speculation on my part, but it's a possible scenario, at least. I think the best thing we can do to encourage the expansion of the Zelfs line in the USA is to continue buying everything Zelf at Toys R Us, because if TRU has trouble keeping them in stock, they'll order more, and word of mouth may get around to other retailers that this is a hot item. |
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Post by Galexia on Jun 23, 2014 19:31:28 GMT -5
Maybe they're having a hard time convincing the American stores that the Zelfs will sell? I'm sure they WANT Zelfs to be sold in more American stores, but that doesn't mean the stores will pick up the line. I think Violet has hit the nail on the head. It's not that Moose doesn't want their product to be in lots of stores, available to everyone -- naturally, they'd love to sell bazillions of Zelfs! But if they can't convince American retailers that this is a product which will sell well here, they simply can't expand the line. I'm sure the Zelfs product line was pitched to many major USA retailers, Target included (since Target carries other Moose products, like Trash Pack), and the buyers for those stores probably felt that these were just some dumb troll dolls, and that troll dolls are not so passé. If anyone remembers the now-defunct doll line called Trollz, you might also remember that Target carried tons of them, and even had lots of exclusives...and they just did not sell. They were on clearance for ages, and Target could barely even give them away! So yeah, I imagine that Target buyers would view anything resembling a troll doll with a huge dose of skepticism. Granted, this is all speculation on my part, but it's a possible scenario, at least. I think the best thing we can do to encourage the expansion of the Zelfs line in the USA is to continue buying everything Zelf at Toys R Us, because if TRU has trouble keeping them in stock, they'll order more, and word of mouth may get around to other retailers that this is a hot item. I'd love to buy up all the Zelfs at my TRU, unfortunately they're all the ones I have already :/ I contacted Target and told them I'd love to see them carry Zelfs, and they told me they'd let their buying team know! |
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Post by Dorothy-Doe on Jun 23, 2014 19:38:50 GMT -5
I'd love to buy up all the Zelfs at my TRU, unfortunately they're all the ones I have already :/ Yeah, same here. My store is, like, Lil' D Headquarters.  We should come up with some sort of Adopt-a-Zelf program, where US buyers go to their TRU stores and purchase at least one of the shelf-sitters which were over-shipped to the store, to help alleviate the problem. I'm hoping the next time they go on sale, I can go to TRU and buy like ten of them, and donate them all to Toys For Tots, or another charity. These Zelfs would make a lot of people happy, but we just have to help get them into the right hands (and clear the store shelves in the process, encouraging them to order more)! |
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Post by Galexia on Jun 23, 2014 19:43:04 GMT -5
I'd love to buy up all the Zelfs at my TRU, unfortunately they're all the ones I have already :/ Yeah, same here. My store is, like, Lil' D Headquarters. We should come up with some sort of Adopt-a-Zelf program, where US buyers go to their TRU stores and purchase at least one of the shelf-sitters which were over-shipped to the store, to help alleviate the problem. I'm hoping the next time they go on sale, I can go to TRU and buy like ten of them, and donate them all to Toys For Tots, or another charity. These Zelfs would make a lot of people happy, but we just have to help get them into the right hands (and clear the store shelves in the process, encouraging them to order more)! That's a great idea, Dorothy Doe! I'm guessing they'll go on sale again soon! I do remember when we checked again this week to see if there were any new Zelfs in the back the guy said they didn't have anymore coming in :/ |
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Post by Galexia on Jun 23, 2014 19:46:04 GMT -5
TRU also has a survey for everyone to fill out if you've made a purchase recently to win $500 shopping spree!
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Post by Violet on Jun 23, 2014 22:57:06 GMT -5
I'll contact Target USA and ask them to carry Zelfs, too. It certainly can't hurt.  |
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Post by Rainsong on Jun 23, 2014 23:17:01 GMT -5
I'd love to buy up all the Zelfs at my TRU, unfortunately they're all the ones I have already :/ Yeah, same here. My store is, like, Lil' D Headquarters. Mine was Flamy HQ... |
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Post by Rainsong on Jun 24, 2014 0:35:07 GMT -5
I've thought about it, after reading all of this, and there are some good points. I didn't know about the Trollz line, sorry.
Somewhere in there, things have gone horribly wrong. I still hold that TRU shouldn't be the only place to buy them. I don't understand why they had tiny releases at Target and Walmart, but never seemed to have really been carried through with. It's... very confusing.
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Post by Dragonflitter on Jun 26, 2014 14:27:00 GMT -5
Yeah, it doesn't do any good to get mad at Moose, really. It's definitely frustrating to only have one chain carrying Zelfs in the US, but their distribution is entirely dependent on which chains WANT to pick up this new toy line. And Moose Inc. is way smaller than a lot of other, more successful toy companies. A lot of giant chain stores don't want to deal with smaller companies, they want to go for a sure thing that they know will make them money. A new toy line is risky for toy stores to invest in. (Trivia fact: When the Nintendo Entertainment System first appeared in America, no toy stores wanted to take the chance on them! At the time, the Atari was considered a major flop and all toy stores were sure that electronic games were a thing of the past. The Nintendo company literally went door-to-door to retail and toy stores, asking all major chains if they would put some Nintendos on the shelves! Good thing some said yes because, as we know, the Nintendo was a BIG hit and they flew off the shelves. And thus the electronic gaming industry is alive and well today!) Also keep in mind that Walmart did, at one point, agree to stock Zelfs, but then they dissolved their contract with Moose for the Zelf line within a few months, probably because they didn't see a big enough profit in that short amount of time. Walmart is not known for being nice to the newbies just starting out in the retail world. Like most big stores, they only want to invest in new products that are a sure thing.  |
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Post by Rainsong on Jun 28, 2014 13:20:22 GMT -5
Also keep in mind that Walmart did, at one point, agree to stock Zelfs, but then they dissolved their contract with Moose for the Zelf line within a few months, probably because they didn't see a big enough profit in that short amount of time. Walmart is not known for being nice to the newbies just starting out in the retail world. Like most big stores, they only want to invest in new products that are a sure thing. I'm glad you posted that - I've been thinking I was a bit nuts, having found them at Walmart on clearance once when no one else had! Honestly though - to the original question. Are they more popular in the UK? Are they really "The leading girl's collectible"? Or is it possibly an issue in part due to distribution... if they were more readily available, do you think they could be as popular as elsewhere, supporting the line? |
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Post by Dragonflitter on Jun 28, 2014 14:38:12 GMT -5
lol maybe when Moose said "leading girl's collectable" they meant out of all the girls' toys they sell, that one is in the lead.  |
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Post by Dorothy-Doe on Jun 28, 2014 14:45:45 GMT -5
I think "Leading Girls Collectible" is just a catch phrase to attract attention from retailers. The usual advertising schtick.
Someone with contacts at Walmart posted on Facebook just yesterday that the reason Walmart dropped the Zelfs line is that Moose wouldn't give them a cheaper price on them. Walmart is known to be extremely pushy with vendors, naming its own prices and refusing whole truckloads of goods if even one cent on the invoice is off (I used to work for a wine distributor, and we dealt with this all the time). I'm pretty sure this is accurate for Moose--Walmart named a price too low for Moose to be able to turn a profit, so Moose declined, and Walmart axed them.
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Post by Vampula on Jun 30, 2014 17:38:46 GMT -5
Like I told moose if they are having such trouble selling to retail stores than can just sell it on their site like any reasonable person would.
Also everyone should write to amazon.com. They already told me they would sell zelfs on their webpage but that it's still in the consideration process. I bet the more ppl write the faster they will sell them!
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Post by Snap Jack on Jun 30, 2014 18:30:09 GMT -5
Like I told moose if they are having such trouble selling to retail stores than can just sell it on their site like any reasonable person would. Also everyone should write to amazon.com. They already told me they would sell zelfs on their webpage but that it's still in the consideration process. I bet the more ppl write the faster they will sell them! Uuuuugh. This. So much. |
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Post by Vampula on Jun 30, 2014 19:25:27 GMT -5
Like I told moose if they are having such trouble selling to retail stores than can just sell it on their site like any reasonable person would. Also everyone should write to amazon.com. They already told me they would sell zelfs on their webpage but that it's still in the consideration process. I bet the more ppl write the faster they will sell them! Uuuuugh. This. So much. Just shoot'em a quick email! |
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Post by Violet on Jul 2, 2014 23:51:31 GMT -5
Someone with contacts at Walmart posted on Facebook just yesterday that the reason Walmart dropped the Zelfs line is that Moose wouldn't give them a cheaper price on them. Walmart is known to be extremely pushy with vendors, naming its own prices and refusing whole truckloads of goods if even one cent on the invoice is off (I used to work for a wine distributor, and we dealt with this all the time). I'm pretty sure this is accurate for Moose--Walmart named a price too low for Moose to be able to turn a profit, so Moose declined, and Walmart axed them. This sounds like it has a lot of truth to it. Walmart apparently does this a lot. So, the answer is that Moose should open up a Zelf factory right here in my town here in the U.S., so they can provide Zelfs cheaper to American Walmarts. LOL! |
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