Subject:
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Re: End of Clearance Stock?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.shopping
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Date:
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Mon, 14 Feb 2000 09:00:09 GMT
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Reply-To:
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rsanders@svic.netAVOIDSPAM
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452 times
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I have wondered about this as well. My take (as previously stated) is
that WMs operate on a multi-level price-control scheme. Top level is
corporate (Bentonville AR), followed by regional offices, then the
store. Corp has to decide what each store can handle (partly based on
available shelf space, partly on local market dynamics). In the case of
Lego, when an item has been around for a certain period of time (1-2
years) and/or they need the shelf space for new product, it gets bumped
to clearance. Some items do not go clearance immediately, they sit in an
overflow spot they call 'flex'. If corporate decides that an item is
both old and not selling well, its gets a 'corporate reduction'. So far,
I only observed one or two 'corporate reduction' price changes on a
given item. Every instance of a third (forth, etc) reduction has been a
'local' price change. Some items will get 'local' price reductions in
one store, but not in others. This is at the desecration of the local
management (including the toy dept manager). WM toy depts seem to
operate on 'clearance dollars'. Thru some mystical formula, the toy dept
gets these to be used on moving old product. Which product gets moved is
up the the toy dept manager. If you hit them on the right day, you *may*
be able to get them to apply a few to something you are interested in.
Also note that some stuff that has been on clearance *too* long, reverts
back to original price.
To the issue of stock suddenly vanishing... several possibilities:
o Others reading lugnet are making offers for 'the entire clearance
stock' of legos
o Store stock-balancing. One toy dept manager told me that the regional
manager would re-balance stock between stores on a case-by-case basis,
using his own car. Apparently there is no set standard mechanism, but
some people are being creative.
o Reshipment back to TLC. One KM manager tried to tell me that he could
send stuff back. Based on his store and the old stuff lying around, I
believe he was blowing smoke. Keep an eye on the Lego Outlet store stuff
for price labels from WM or KM.
o Back-room hiding. It happens. Sometimes, they just want it to vanish
for a week or two.
o Massive mark-down and we just missed it. It happens. One sunday
morning, the local store slashed the price on a big stack of Ninja
Fortress. I grabbed 10. There were two left. They did not last the day.
It happens.
Ray Sanders
Mike Walsh wrote:
>
> Frank Filz and I were discussing some observations we made at several of the
> local Wal-Mart stores here in the Raleigh area. It seems that some of the
> Wal-Mart stores had large stocks of items on clearance that "disappeared"
> all of the sudden. While the possibility that the price dropped and
> someone cleaned up on it exists, we also speculated that the stock was
> either sold off to a clearance chain like Tuesday Morning or Big Lots or was
> sent back to LEGO.
>
> Since LEGO now has Outlet stores large quantities of unsold stock may be
> headed that way as opposed to the clearance cycle. Larry P noted in article
> 2755 (http://www.lugnet.com/market/shopping/?n=2755) that the manager at the
> LEGO Outlet in GA mentioned that he could sell discontinued items at a
> better price than other retailers.
>
> Some of the items I noticed large quantities of that "disappeared" were
> Advent Calendars, Adventurers Blimps, and Wal-Mart value packs. The
> Wal-Mart closest to me had about 40-50 Advent Calendars at $15 for almost a
> month. Then they were all gone. Another Wal-Mart had a similar quantity of
> Blimps at $9 - then they were gone. So either someone (and it wasn't Frank
> or I) got a great deal on a huge quanity of items cheap or Wal-Mart shipped
> these items elsewhere.
>
> Anyone else seen anything similar?
>
> Mike - mike_walsh@mindspring.com
> http://members.tripod.com/mike_walsh
--
Ray Sanders <rsanders@svic.net>
Experienced Macintosh developer seeks telecomuting position.
If you have such an opening, please contact me.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: End of Clearance Stock?
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| (...) This DOES happen, and if it does and you're not there on the day it happens you miss out. I know this because I've been lucky enough to happen upon those random sidewalk sales or huge markdowns just as they started (or right after) and clear (...) (25 years ago, 14-Feb-00, to lugnet.market.shopping)
| | | Re: End of Clearance Stock?
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| Ray Sanders wrote in message <38A7C416.C15AFC0@svic.net>... (...) I have one more scenario to add. A Fred Meyer's manager told me that if a Lego set doesn't sell at 50% he donates it to charity. He can take the full value as a tax write off. His (...) (25 years ago, 14-Feb-00, to lugnet.market.shopping)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | End of Clearance Stock?
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| Frank Filz and I were discussing some observations we made at several of the local Wal-Mart stores here in the Raleigh area. It seems that some of the Wal-Mart stores had large stocks of items on clearance that "disappeared" all of the sudden. While (...) (25 years ago, 14-Feb-00, to lugnet.market.shopping)
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