DrJB Posted December 8, 2014 Many 'businesses' have aligned the issuance of new products just in time for the holiday season ... be it Apple and Samsung with their tablets, Razor with their wheeled toys, or the many movies hitting the theaters or on BluRay and yet, TLG somehow has a 'release' schedule that is not-in-sync with the holidays. I bet that if, for instance, TLG decided to release the 1H2015 sets in November Iand I'm talking Technic sets), many more people will buy them. What's the logic behind such 'strategy'? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zux Posted December 8, 2014 I think idea is simple (for me): let kids think of what they want for the whole year - sell rest of past year's & current year's items before Xmas. Repeat next year. With such approach, kids would ask parents for LEGO before Xmas for sets from existing series, and in couple of weeks - there are amazing new series, so you could spend even more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JGW3000 Posted December 8, 2014 I imagine a lot of it has to do with manufacturing capacities, supply chains, distribution, logistics, and warehouse and retail shelf space. Obviously, the formula works well for LEGO... and we get to spend our holiday money wisely in January Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TinkerBrick Posted December 8, 2014 I think TLG's release schedule is pretty much in sync with the shopping season. I you look at the whole supply chain it is timed to meet production and demand: Kick off for the shopping season is the Nuremberg toy fair in February. TLG presents its 2H line up with individual release dates for each theme/set. The retailers place their orders and TLG starts producing. The flag ship are released in August, though hitting some shelfs not till September. This way TLG can stock up according to fixed orders, while preserving some resources during fall to produce the smaller 1H sets and react to late orders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_spock Posted December 8, 2014 Probably so that the 2015 products do not compete with 2014 products and try sell off the 2014 inventory as much as possible without having to discount them after the holidays. Should this be in Technics? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nerdsforprez Posted December 8, 2014 So, I hate divulging this, because it opens me up to sooooo many jokes :) but here it goes. I am a licensed psychologist. I don't practice social psychology much, I am more neuro and medically oriented, but know a little about this stuff..... Market research shows a BIG lull in toy sales after christmas.... right? Big deal -- common sense. However, several years ago some big toy manufacturors got together (LEGO being one of them) and hired some psychologists to solve the problem. Here is what the psychologists came up with: Kids expectations are astronomical of what they want right before the holidays.... right? If they don't get what they want then they are really disappointed.... on christmas morning or what ever the family is celebrating... Well..psychologists have discovered that parent's expectations of PLEASING their kids are just as high. Parents don't care as much about getting, they care more about giving.... at least as far as their children are concerned. Sooooo... the psychs (I'm going to call them....er....'us' that) came up with the ingenious plan to limit some of the best toys during the holidays, as well as releasing sets just after the holidays... for this simple reason. Kids get really upset when they don't get everything they want..... parents get REALLY upset when they cannot provide everything for their kids. So parents are REALLY vulnerable just after the holidays, because sometimes their kids don't get everything they want. Well... if the kids don't get the latest and greatest for christmas, and the stores are saying they are all sold out, what is the best way for companies to heal the kids' wounds? COme out with the next latest and greatest thing...AFTER the holidays and replace that hope or dream in the kids heads with that next greatest thing. Now, it may seem that parent's are least likely to buy some expensive new thing right after the holidays b/c they just spent a bazillion dollars.. right? Wrong... remember, parents, if they have not filled their kids every whim, market research shows they are actually really vulnerable. They will buy anything for their kids ---- because their defenses are down. This is why some companies.... LEGO being one of them, will release new sets AFTER the holidays.... especially if there is a good chance of things before the holidays getting sold out. Which, as we all know, TLG is very prone to ...... Well.. research shows that this works. you may or may not agree with it.... but it works....It has helped many many toy companies survive after-christmas' lull in sales.... btw.... just realized I am now a "citizen" -- hope the comment was worth it :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrJB Posted December 8, 2014 Probably so that the 2015 products do not compete with 2014 products and try sell off the 2014 inventory as much as possible without having to discount them after the holidays. Should this be in Technics? I do not follow closely the release date of non-technic themes, but for sure Technic gets released AFTER Christmas. This question may not be relevant in other themes as, from my understanding, sets get released continuously during the year ... or am I wrong? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miguev Posted December 9, 2014 btw.... just realized I am now a "citizen" -- hope the comment was worth it :) Well worth coming from an "insider". I always thought the logic was more generally: reserve the next big, greatest thing for the post-Xmas sales, otherwise you won't sell the older things! Stock must go, you can't start selling the latest until you get rid of the previous thing. And this is not just about Xmas+toys+parents+kids, but also about geeks+gadgets and pretty much everybody+everything. Anyway, many stores in Switzerland will start selling (at least some) 2015 Technic sets on Dec 17th, tight but soon enough for Xmas eve. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
