Author Topic: Vote to save Mini's from 2013 Archive (Read 22858 times)

speck · « **on:** 12 May 2013, 13:06:21 »

This year there will be another Archive of 48 SKU's from Distribution that sell less then 6 in a year. We are running this Poll through May 26th and the top 7 winners will be spared from being Archived this year. The poll items where selected by looking at what kind of websales each SKU had along with distro sales, so if the SKU was popular on the webstore it was selected for the poll. At the end of May we will announce the complete Archive List and then July 1st they will enter the Archive.

Stormcrow · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 May 2013, 13:15:01 »

First vote is in for the Talon

DEZOAT · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 May 2013, 14:11:57 »

Do you all know that the Flea is longest produced mini since Battledroids. I think that mini should be redone to size of a 20 ton. But that me.

GRUD · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 May 2013, 04:14:01 »

I noticed that you didn't mention any "Kill" list, and was wondering if there's any discussion about adding to it? :-\

NOT that I'm Wanting you to mind you! I'm simply curious.

Jimmyray73 · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 May 2013, 08:15:54 »

Vote Guillotine!

speck · « **Reply #5 on:** 13 May 2013, 08:21:06 »

Quote from: GRUD on 13 May 2013, 04:14:01

I noticed that you didn't mention any "Kill" list, and was wondering if there's any discussion about adding to it? :-\

NOT that I'm Wanting you to mind you! I'm simply curious.

Nothing is being killed this time around.

GRUD · « **Reply #6 on:** 13 May 2013, 08:53:42 »

GLAD to hear it! :) Thanks! O0

klarg1 · « **Reply #7 on:** 13 May 2013, 10:05:25 »

Guillotine, Spector, Falconer...! What do I choose!? :'(

Stormlion1 · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 May 2013, 10:06:48 »

I'm surprised the Guillotine isn't a big seller but I'm going to vote for the Blood Kite. Its going to need the votes.

And wait, I got a Flea a few months back! Was I one of only six people a year to get one? Plus one last year?

Col.Hengist · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 May 2013, 10:22:50 »

This really is bs. Just keep them all. Matter of fact, just bring everything back off of archive status.i understand you folks have problem with not enough room but some of these mechs just can't be that unpopular. The guillotine is on the block? The shootist? The blood kite? Annihilator? These mechs are kind of staples. I'm really disapointed in this list.

There is so many here i can't decide which needs to stay the most.emperor,talon, spector... ugh.

speck · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 May 2013, 10:30:18 »

Quote from: Col.Hengist on 13 May 2013, 10:22:50

This really is bs. Just keep them all. Matter of fact, just bring everything back off of archive status.i understand you folks have problem with not enough room but some of these mechs just can't be that unpopular. The guillotine is on the block? The shootist? The blood kite? Annihilator? These mechs are kind of staples. I'm really disapointed in this list.

There is so many here i can't decide which needs to stay the most.emperor,talon, spector... ugh.

It's all based on sales, some of them I don't want to see archived which is why I suggested the poll to save some of them.

ShockaTime · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 May 2013, 11:56:53 »

I went for the obligatory Blood Kite vote, but I can't believe items like the Jagermech and the Guillotine are on this list. Speck, any chance we can see the statistics you guys look at to determine which items get archived?

speck · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 May 2013, 12:31:17 »

Quote from: ShockaTime on 13 May 2013, 11:56:53

I went for the obligatory Blood Kite vote, but I can't believe items like the Jagermech and the Guillotine are on this list. Speck, any chance we can see the statistics you guys look at to determine which items get archived?

It's already been mentioned many times. If a SKU sells less then 6 a year it is up for being Archived.

Paul · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 May 2013, 12:36:02 »

I'm impressed IWM doesn't axe SKUs sooner than 6.
I'm likewise impressed they don't even kill em, they just archive em.

Kit deSummersville · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:07:31 »

Though if Paul were a SKU....

GRUD · « **Reply #15 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:13:09 »

Quote from: Paul on 13 May 2013, 12:36:02

I'm impressed IWM doesn't axe SKUs sooner than 6.
I'm likewise impressed they don't even kill em, they just archive em.

I agree. I'd MUCH rather they resort to "Archive" rather than "Kill", ANY day of the week. O0

gooseman · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:21:26 »

Quote from: ShockaTime on 13 May 2013, 11:56:53

I went for the obligatory Blood Kite vote, but I can't believe items like the Jagermech and the Guillotine are on this list. Speck, any chance we can see the statistics you guys look at to determine which items get archived?

Do you ask to see sales figures when your local convenience store stops carrying your favorite drink?

Col.Hengist · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:31:11 »

Quote from: gooseman on 13 May 2013, 13:21:26

Do you ask to see sales figures when your local convenience store stops carrying your favorite drink?

When Cosco stopped selling gluten free bread i did. There's a lot of thjngs i do that with. Companies with these tracking cards get rid of stuff that few people buy. Well I'm still buying those certain things and just because it's not selling as well as another product is no excuse to get rid of it. It's why there are 20 brands of ranch dressing in grocery stores. If that's all there is that's what people will buy. If there is no other choice than one type of thing how do people know there could be another. Sales show people buy ranch dressing because that's all there is. If there was more offered there would be more diverse sales.

ShockaTime · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:33:14 »

Quote from: speck on 13 May 2013, 12:31:17

It's already been mentioned many times. If a SKU sells less then 6 a year it is up for being Archived.

I'm perfectly clear on that, but that doesn't tell me much. I was curious how you get your numbers. It's no big deal it's more idle curiosity than anything else.

Quote from: gooseman on 13 May 2013, 13:21:26

Do you ask to see sales figures when your local convenience store stops carrying your favorite drink?

No, but my local convenience store owner doesn't pole me to ask which product he's going to keep on his/her shelf and which he/she is going to have to special order if I want it. Not sure what you're getting at :-\

Paul · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:34:14 »

Quote from: Col.Hengist on 13 May 2013, 13:31:11

and just because it's not selling as well as another product is no excuse to get rid of it.

Actually, that's exactly why you should get rid of it if you're running a business, and you would like it to succeed.

Diverse sales is irrelevant. Profit matters. Who cares if IWM can sell ~6 of a mini, they'd be foolish for investing their resources in doing so. It's amazing their cut off is so low, that shows enormous dedication to trying to provide 'diverse sales'.

Paul

Weirdo · « **Reply #20 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:36:42 »

Quote from: Col.Hengist on 13 May 2013, 13:31:11

...just because it's not selling as well as another product is no excuse to get rid of it.

Actually, that is the best non-safety reason to stop selling a product. If it doesn't sell, then they don't make any money from it. All products cost money to produce, so if a product doesn't earn enough to justify the money spent producing it, why are they producing it?

gooseman · « **Reply #21 on:** 13 May 2013, 13:48:08 »

Quote from: ShockaTime on 13 May 2013, 13:33:14

No, but my local convenience store owner doesn't (sic) poll me to ask which product he's going to keep on his/her shelf and which he/she is going to have to special order if I want it. Not sure what you're getting at :-\

That's exactly what I'm getting at. The typical business operation would strictly go by sales figured without any input from their customers other than the voting they have already done with their wallets.

Speck already makes mention less than six units sold in the last year is the metric, yet you ask to see the documentation about this?

Moreover, you make mentions of "special ordering", you can do that already at Iron Wind, there just is an archive fee involved.

Retail enterprises who go to the lengths Iron Wind does to work with it's customer base are rare, I am impressed with the effort they put in to incorporate grassroots feedback into their decision making.

klarg1 · « **Reply #22 on:** 13 May 2013, 14:02:25 »

Quote from: Paul on 13 May 2013, 13:34:14

Actually, that's exactly why you should get rid of it if you're running a business, and you would like it to succeed.

Diverse sales is irrelevant. Profit matters. Who cares if IWM can sell ~6 of a mini, they'd be foolish for investing their resources in doing so. It's amazing their cut off is so low, that shows enormous dedication to trying to provide 'diverse sales'.

Paul

Paul beat me to it. Getting rid of things that don't sell to make room for things that do is at the very foundation of any successful business.

I'm sure sad to see some of these go, but I'm neither shocked, nor offended.

Edit:
When the Flea goes out of production, it will be the end of an era. That little 'mech has been in continuous production since, like, forever.

JadeHellbringer · « **Reply #23 on:** 13 May 2013, 14:45:02 »

Thing is, these aren't GONE. They aren't dead, buried, etc.- they're just archived. Want a Shootist? Get a Shootist! Hell, get a few, minimize the archive fee since it's for only the first one. Never mind the fact that IWM frequently does the month-long return from the archive every so often.

Shootists, Jagermechs, etc. are staples, yes- of Inner Sphere armies. But, if it's being mentioned here, that means it's not SELLING WELL for IWM- they don't care about whether Davion or Liao or whomever uses a design frequently, and they shouldn't have to care. They're looking at their business- and if Jagermechs aren't selling, then off to archive they go. Nothing difficult about this, no evil cabal out to ruin things for you, just business decisions- and at the end of the day, wise ones.

(That said, I did give a vote to the Flea since I was thinking about getting another one in my summer order. ;) )

Paul · « **Reply #24 on:** 13 May 2013, 15:35:30 »

You know what'll be funny? If minis get more than 6 votes. If only the people who voted bought one instead, it'd be a non-issue. ;D

Col.Hengist · « **Reply #25 on:** 13 May 2013, 15:52:15 »

Ive bought 2 talons last year, multiple shootists,at least 1 blood kite, a couple of many of the ones on here.

Paul · « **Reply #26 on:** 13 May 2013, 15:59:53 »

Quote from: Col.Hengist on 13 May 2013, 15:52:15

Ive bought 2 talons last year, multiple shootists,at least 1 blood kite, a couple of many of the ones on here.

And you might just be the only one.
Unless you're suggesting IWM is lying (which would make no sense) or mistaken.

Here's a third option: IWM only notices a sale when a store OR distributor buys something. (Well, apart from the website or stuff sold at a Con)
So those minis you bought might have been actually purchased by that store or, the store's distributor years ago. Store's generally don't like having things lay about, but a distributor might by X of a new mini as it comes out, and then only again as that pile runs out.
So, those purchases of yours would be irrelevant (and invisible) to IWM, to IWM those purchases happened years ago.

Savage Coyote · « **Reply #27 on:** 13 May 2013, 16:34:56 »

I think some of the low sales figures is this: everyone has these guys because they are good, look good, or are faction staples. Sales drop off once you have several. I don't usually get multiples of 'mechs unless I'm using them in game together or like the Talon, are spread out over my three supported factions (Klondike Coyotes, Donegal Guards, and post Jihad FWL Iron Guard.) Looks like I better pony up and buy two more so my Coyotes and ex-Leaguers can have one. :D

Col.Hengist · « **Reply #28 on:** 13 May 2013, 16:40:20 »

I'm not suggesting IWM is lying. I bought them direct from IWM. What my local store doesn't have i order.

ShockaTime · « **Reply #29 on:** 13 May 2013, 17:20:05 »

Quote from: gooseman on 13 May 2013, 13:48:08

That's exactly what I'm getting at. The typical business operation would strictly go by sales figured without any input from their customers other than the voting they have already done with their wallets.

Speck already makes mention less than six units sold in the last year is the metric, yet you ask to see the documentation about this?

As I already said I was curious about how the numbers were gathered and how they were counted. It's honestly not a big deal. It is because of their "grassroots" interactions that I asked and why I would not just ask my local convenient store owner which is why I didn't understand the comparison.

Quote from: gooseman on 13 May 2013, 13:48:08

Moreover, you make mentions of "special ordering", you can do that already at Iron Wind, there just is an archive fee involved.

I'm well aware of the archive fee. I've done it multiple times and I think it's great that they still allow the purchase of items that don't sell well as opposed to just getting rid of them entirely.

Quote from: gooseman on 13 May 2013, 13:48:08

Retail enterprises who go to the lengths Iron Wind does to work with it's customer base are rare, I am impressed with the effort they put in to incorporate grassroots feedback into their decision making.

See above comment.