Help from CD - HexBug Nano Toys R Us

[Paul Copioli]

All,

I need your help. If you have been to a Toys R Us lately, can you please let me know if there was a Hexbug Nano disply set-up in the store? Any information you can get me regarding where it was, what it looked like, and what store is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

[Wetzel]

I saw them at a Radioshack (#01-2473) but haven't been to a Toys R Us recently. They had terrible placement, second from bottom shelf near the back of the store. I should be by a Toys R Us tomorrow, I'll swing by and take a look.

[Dave Flowerday]

Hey Paul,
I was in a Toys-R-Us in Crystal Lake, IL a month or so ago specifically looking for the Nanos. We purchased one to give as a gift. Anyway, what I saw was this:

- Display was on the bottom half of an endcap on the outside perimeter of the store (i.e. not on the main aisle running through the store). We were specifically looking for them and it took a while to find them.
- The demo box was there with 2 nanos in it. Seemed to be functioning fine (clever idea BTW to make the box vibrate rather than running the batteries dead in the nanos)
- There were plenty of nanos, a smattering of regular Hexbugs, and a bunch of specimen cases, but no sign of the habitat set or spare batteries (and no obvious location for either of those)
- The overall look of the display was OK, but a little disheveled. Basically looked the same as the rest of the store (seems like Toys-R-Us are generally not kept very tidy)
- The few older Hexbugs that were there looked to be in bad shape - packaging had been opened, one was just an empty container. They looked like they were either returns or had been abused in the store for a long time.

[OZ_341]

They are on sale at Toys R Us in Montgomeryville, PA. (30 min. North of Philly) They had a prominent "end of aisle" display. They were pretty much sold out.

FYI:
To date our team has sold about 150 Hexugs, between Ramp Riot and the GameX video game expo. A nice, easy fundraiser, so far.

[Liz Smith]

I was in Toys R Us the other day in Henrietta, NY (Rochester) looking for something else when I came upon the HexBug display on an endcap on the main aisle towards the back of the store. I was impressed with the display there and it caught my attention. There seemed to be a fairly large stock of bugs there, and also on the lower shelves a nice selection of the accessories as well (the habitat, extra batteries, and carrying cases for nanos). The display seemed to be a bit messy, but there were a good selection of items.

I have a bunch of HexBugs already and like when I see them for sale because I know where they come from. I still spent some time looking at the display and the newer items I haven't seen before. It seemed to be in a good place for parents and kids to do the same.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Liz Smith

The display seemed to be a bit messy, but there were a good selection of items.

From a person who spent many years restocking and tidying shelves in a retail business, 'a bit messy' probably means that children and adults have been looking at the items for sale and examining them. That could be a good thing. I'm going to run by one of the Toys R Us stores here in Austin and check it out this week.
---
418 sold out of our HexBugs this weekend and it was very exciting. We are placing an order for more for another fundraiser we are doing this month. It's fun! I bought myself a purple inchworm.

[Meredith Novak]

Visited the Springfield, Mo Toys R Us last Thursday to pick up another Habitat set for a drawing at our FLL tournament. Nano display (operational) was at eye-level for a 4-yr-old and not on an endcap. I had to ask to find it and was told it was in the "boy section." (That cost the clerk a bit.)

There were about 5 habitat sets, 5 specimen cases and 2 display boxes of nanos in tubes beside the display. There were only about 10 pink HexBugs left hanging on a peg above - weird, since we sell those and the blues ones out first. I did notice an IFI box with (I think) 10 habitat sets on the shelf above the display.

[Alex Cormier]

Originally Posted by Liz Smith

I was in Toys R Us the other day in Henrietta, NY (Rochester) looking for something else when I came upon the HexBug display on an endcap on the main aisle towards the back of the store. I was impressed with the display there and it caught my attention. There seemed to be a fairly large stock of bugs there, and also on the lower shelves a nice selection of the accessories as well (the habitat, extra batteries, and carrying cases for nanos). The display seemed to be a bit messy, but there were a good selection of items.

I have a bunch of HexBugs already and like when I see them for sale because I know where they come from. I still spent some time looking at the display and the newer items I haven't seen before. It seemed to be in a good place for parents and kids to do the same.

I was in that store about 1 week earlier to pick up some HexBug Nano's myself. The entire display was in a different aisle and much like what Dave was saying in a earlier post. I was impressed that they moved it to the main aisle when I later went there. Much better placement and neater display.

[Elgin Clock]

Hey Paul, not sure if the info is still needed, but my local Toys R Us (Waterbury, CT) had an endcap display of the housing (with a clear plastic dome over it) & some Nano's for sale as well about 2 months ago (maybe mid-October sometime) (& I haven't been there since to see if it's still there).

It was the first time I saw them, & actually it was kind of sad since all the Nano's (or maybe there was just one in there - not exactly sure, it was a while ago- were stuck in the track inside the bubble display, & didn't move.
Not the most effective way of advertising a product, but such is life I guess!

[ErikEdhlund]

I know the toysrus in schaumburg has them near the RC cars on a end cap. I work at the toysrus there, so if you go there and wish to purchase many tell me before christmas cause I can get them for a discount price.

[Billfred]

I was at the one here in Columbia last weekend. They were set up on a shelf in the science toys section (not far from the LEGO area). A few items were split off on another area--probably sketchy stocking. It was at (or just a hair above) eye level for me. No sign of the demo with the bugs running around.

[Vince lau]

Not sure if you're still looking for feedback, but I've seen them up here in Toronto, at one of the Toys R Us I went to, they had the display, but it wasn't working. The display was first set up at the front of the store, but moved to the kids area, with all those Thomas the tank stuff. I've also seen the Nano's at Mastermind up here

[Alex Cormier]

Update:

I recently visited the local Toys R Us store to pick up some supplies for a Vex Challenge.

They had a lot of merchandise around the vibrating dome set-up. Unfortunately, the dome doesn't vibrate anymore.

[548swimmer]

I was in a Brookstone today and they had a display right at the front of the store.

[Taylor]

There is a rather large and centrally-placed display in the store of the Chidren's Museum of Indianapolis.