2018 City Arctic in-store availability in the USA?

luapts

The 2018 City Arctic line hasn’t hit the shelves of Target or Walmart in my area (I’m in the Twin Cities, Minnesota) even though they were released over a month ago in the USA. They ARE available in my local LEGO Store, and I can find them on Target, Walmart and Amazon’s websites. Does anyone know why they haven’t hit the stores shelves? Just curious. I want this line to be popular so LEGO keeps making them in the future!

77ncaachamps

Target has condensed their Lego Aisles to 1.5 for Lego at most of my Targets.
I think it just comes down to shelf space.
With summer clearance sales making room for your City Arctic sets most likely.

560Heliport

I wonder if they use online sales to decide how many to stock in-store. My nearest Target is remodeling, and the toy section has aisles that are shorter and run perpendicular to each other, rather than just several parallel aisles. It seems to be more floor space and less shelves. A result of increasing online sales?

norm103

Target is in there summer toy markdowns right now and will be resetting toys at the begging of  August with all the new toys for Christmas. 

luapts

I guess my other concern is whether this will become a pattern, where the newest sets won’t be available on store shelves. I don’t expect Target and Walmart to carry every new set on the release date, but the City line is pretty mainstream and Arctic sets’ slow roll-out is surprising. 

lessjunkfood

I noticed the Arctic series absent at my local Meijer (central Indiana) as well, though they also are starting to put some stuff on sale presumably to clear shelf space. 

Astrobricks

They haven’t reduced shelf space near me (also in twin cities), and I did see three new Harry Potter sets on the shelves yesterday, so they aren’t holding back on every new wave. I also remember the Jurassic World and TLNM sets showing up right on time. I have noticed a reduction in space devoted to City, Creator, and especially Technic lines. Too many licensed themes to make room for, I guess.

77ncaachamps

Astrobricks said:

They haven’t reduced shelf space near me (also in twin cities), and I did see three new Harry Potter sets on the shelves yesterday, so they aren’t holding back on every new wave. I also remember the Jurassic World and TLNM sets showing up right on time. I have noticed a reduction in space devoted to City, Creator, and especially Technic lines. Too many licensed themes to make room for, I guess.

The HP sets were stocked at the Electronics counter.
Most of the high demand items or those that are popular and easily stolen are placed there.

Astrobricks

77ncaachamps said:

Astrobricks said:

They haven’t reduced shelf space near me (also in twin cities), and I did see three new Harry Potter sets on the shelves yesterday, so they aren’t holding back on every new wave. I also remember the Jurassic World and TLNM sets showing up right on time. I have noticed a reduction in space devoted to City, Creator, and especially Technic lines. Too many licensed themes to make room for, I guess.

The HP sets were stocked at the Electronics counter.
Most of the high demand items or those that are popular and easily stolen are placed there.

Sounds like Targets near you take more precautions than around here. Do your Walmarts lock everything up?

77ncaachamps

Astrobricks said:

77ncaachamps said:

Astrobricks said:

They haven’t reduced shelf space near me (also in twin cities), and I did see three new Harry Potter sets on the shelves yesterday, so they aren’t holding back on every new wave. I also remember the Jurassic World and TLNM sets showing up right on time. I have noticed a reduction in space devoted to City, Creator, and especially Technic lines. Too many licensed themes to make room for, I guess.

The HP sets were stocked at the Electronics counter.
Most of the high demand items or those that are popular and easily stolen are placed there.

Sounds like Targets near you take more precautions than around here. Do your Walmarts lock everything up?

Only one does.
The hottest toys get placed prominently on the counter presumably to draw attention to them as well as safeguard them