I have to laugh reading these posts....I just picked up seasonal work at Target and TRU and a lot of what has been said here is so true. What is sad is that a lot of the veteran employees don't know much about the product they put on the floor. No idea when it comes to action figures, DC, Marvel, Star Wars, Hot Wheels, etc;....
The employees look at me like I'm crazy when a customer comes in and I can actually talk to them intelligently about a product. The overnight stock crews have no clue at all about product. I have seen stashed cases in the back and I actually will take them out onto the floor and put them on shelves or pegs. I totally agree that product should hit the shelves and not go out the back. And not to offend the Hot Wheel collectors but I cannot stand when they come in and trash the isle looking for certain items, it's just not necessary. I even go out of my way to get cases down from overstock or out of the backroom if a customer is looking for a certain figure. Now don't get me wrong if I know that they are scalpers, and yes we do know who they are most of the time I won't go out of my way, but if it's a mother or father just trying to get a specific figure I try to help as much as possible. As a parent I know what it is like to see that look on a child's face when they open a gift and see that special toy they really wanted. Just the other day I pulled 3 cases of Transformers Rescue Bots out of the back for a mom looking for two different figures for her son. Found the two she was looking for, as well as two that I needed for my son in the process (went on my break and purchased them). I just think that instead of saying "sorry all we have is what is on the floor." and actually taking the time to help a guest might actually put toy sales where they really belong and send a message to the manufactures about what we really want. I hate to even mention the amount of DC Figures are scattered in miscellaneous bins in the backroom at the TRU I work at.
I guess the only thing we can do is keep fighting the good fight against the big box retailers no matter how we have to infiltrate their ranks.
