Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

WalMart Pokemon day

Status
Not open for further replies.
TheCrossFormatKid said:
All walmarts are, its part of their brand image. PUI/POP should have picked a better store chain.
Click to expand...


That's not true. We have awesome, modern Walmarts with very cool and spacious McDonalds!

It was a great move to do this promotion with Walmart. The logistics just needed more working through.
 
I have been to some walmarts that are dumps and then there is one in Plano area that is bigger than jc pennys. Hugh. But I did not want to go negative on the new walmart thread but what does beckett want us to do with all the old junk we bought. Give it out for Halloween with the rest of our unlimited and tons of extras like we do every year lately.
 
I don't really wanna sit and direct rage in the wrong, well, directions. I'm just very upset at the missed oppertunity. Whoever screwed up should feel bad and try to fix it. I dont really like wal-mart much but the fact that they even tried an event like this makes me happy.

I think Pokemon has a chance to be big again, and that mean's more for us, and I like that idea. Big promotional events like this would be great, hearing from the few success stories posted here, it sounds like it coulda done wonders for our community and establishment.
 
I'm just wondering how many kids were turned away, that would have become interested in the game.


This COULD HAVE been a huge day for the future of the game.
 
something interesting i found out at our league sunday ... one of our league members went there and brought back a few activity books from the walmart in henderson (i think that was where the walmart was) that got the supplies but that walmart had no voluenteer/professor there ... could it be that the supplies got shipped to the wrong address? i thoulght they went to the stores that had professors there to do the demos only, or were they shipped to every walmart on the list? now im confused ...
 
David's Confused Pokedad said:
I have been to some walmarts that are dumps and then there is one in Plano area that is bigger than jc pennys. Hugh. But I did not want to go negative on the new walmart thread but what does beckett want us to do with all the old junk we bought. Give it out for Halloween with the rest of our unlimited and tons of extras like we do every year lately.
Click to expand...

Return it and get your money back. Walmart will take anything back.
 
CameraMan said:
I think Wal-Mart was told the distributor would be there to run the event, our manager was aware of the event, and very open to discussing the event. Our group came prepared, I had a bad feeling that the distributor would just not show up and never contact the store.

I don't feel Wal-Mart is to blame for widespread failures, I feel it was the distributor!
Click to expand...


Walmart corporate has to at least share the blame. Alot of the stores that failed(and a few that didn't), didn't even know there was supposed to be an event there. Also, alot of the stores had Madden tournaments at the same time.
 
sneaselsrevenge said:
Also, alot of the stores had Madden tournaments at the same time.
Click to expand...
Yeah. Can we get the organizer that ran the Madden thing to run the Pokemon one?
That one seemed to have all the dots connected!
 
Here is what happened in Washington State...

I left home at around 8:30 am and drove out to Bremerton, It takes about an hour. My nephew came with me. We arrived at the store around 9:35 am.... I had brought with me a print out of the 300 Wal Mart Stores participating in the play day and the print out from the PUI website. I also wore my white Professor/Staff lab coat with Pikachu on the back. I breifly explained to the door greeter and showed her the two lists. She paged a manager. I waited some ten minutes until a manager walked by. I asked the manager for information about setting up for the event. Just then the Beckett representative came by to identify herself. With that, we left to the back room to find the kit. The kit was not in the back but up front at the Customer Service Desk. The Beckett representative said she had two kits,...one for the Bremerton Wal Mart and one for Lacey... (Lacey was not on the list of approved stores)....She went out to her car to get the second kit. I had brought some extra POP 1 packs to hand out just in case.....

Anyway, the Beckett representative gets a table and sets it up right in front of the store next to the Pokemon card displays...She hands me and my nephew each one of the Master Trainer Kits. We demoed the game using the 30 card decks/three prizes. Unfortunately, the new Walmart Exclusive Theme Decks were not available for purchase......

In addition, the local league Leader at Jeanne's Sports Cards showed up at 10:00 am. Some 3-4 member of her league also showed up....We talked briefly. She had to leave at 10:30 for league. (Jeannes shop is about three miles north of Bremerton Wal Mart).

Anyway... in total there were 12 demos of the card game in 2 hours. Also, I gave out POP 1 & POP 4 packs to about a dozen kids/parents walking by. In addition, I was able to hand out flyers for the pre release being held 1 1/2 hours later that same day at Jeannes. I believe about 3-4 persons from the Walmart Play day attended the Pre release.....

At noon, we packed up. I gave the Beckett representative my left over POP 1 packs and she gave me the left over POP 4 packs. I drove to Jeanne's league, ate lunch and had the CG Pre Release...

This was a success...

PROPS to the Beckett Representative for showing up.:clap:

I unfortunately heard the other three WalMart Stores planning on having Play day in Wash State, did not pan out and no playday was held. I gave some ofthe leftover POP 4 packs from the second kit to my profs/TOs/PTO that went to these stores...

See ya around...:thumb: :cool:
 
Man, this is horrible... how could it fail on a Nationwide level... i could see a few stores, random minor setbacks... but for it too be this bad....and yes the walmarts here have crap for pokemon cards, target is the best place to buy pokemon cards, and they get the new sets on time and have a varity to choose from. and they are cheaper. 2 of the stores here stopped selling pokemon cards, there is baby formula where the cards are supposed to be.
 
Let's see...
Messes up Nationwide Pokemon event
Sells booster packs at $3.49 when I can just buy the same set at $3.00 at a local card shop
The Wal-mart Supercenters in Salem mostly have Yu-Gi-Oh cards and rarely have Pokemon in single booster packs. Gotta spend at least $10 if I wanna buy Pokemon cards at the Wal-marts near my home.
Wal-Mart just never seems to stop dissapointing me. :frown:
I just hope Wal-Mart will actually do better next time, if there will be a next time for them.
 
We called for 3 days prior and everyone at Wal-Mart passed the buck until Saturday. The person in charge was never there when they were scheduled. Then we waited for 30 minutes to be told the Store Manager knew about this but we could not get the box or promo stuff because it was somewhere and he was not coming in. We were offered to use what they have on the shelves but they had nothing. We asked where our Becket person was - they had no clue what we were talking about.

Had three kids looking for the promo stuff from the web site - gave them some cards that we brought with us and advised them of our league. Lost 3 potential 10 and under players.

If I am asked again to do this type of thing again I will not forget the way this went and will think three or four times before doing anything again. I do not mind giving my time and having something fail due to lack of public interest but to fail due to organization if not something I am interested in.
 
Roadshows

Events like these are so difficult to run successfully. If even one person at one of the businesses(Walmart, Pokemon or "the distributor") drops the ball, the whole thing goes south.

Where I work, we have these things we call Roadshows. First we send out the letter to the warehouses where the roadshows will take place. Then we call to confirm. Then we send out the goodies. Then we call the staffing company to make sure that staff will be there. Then we go online to make sure that the goodies got there and were signed for. Then we send out the goodies again because the warehouse misplaced them. Roadshows require a point person who is dilligent, and totally on the ball.

Yeah, no... that's not me. :lol: I just do the graphics! :tongue:

Someone here dropped the ball, but I think it's been a learning experience for everyone involved, and so hopefully next time there is a Pokemon Day at a business it will run a lot smoother. (I hope there will be a next time because I got LOST looking for the Walmart and missed the one successful one in Washington State, doggonit!)
 
In case anyone cares, my story comes to a close. I finally got a response email about the email I sent to PUI/POP. The PUI rep. appologized for the confusion, and offered me the activity book and POP pack(s) I "would have gotten" if the event had taken place. I was also informed that the theme deck that was to be used, would be on shelves soon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top