Brian Cobos of Phoenix Games,
While the prospect of losing a job is never good news for those affected, perhaps these layoffs at Upper Deck are a good thing.
I can not speak to the sports card side of their business, as I do not carry them. However, having just recently been told that I will have to refund money to customers because my allocated quantities of the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! expansion do not even cover my pre-orders, I'm hoping that these layoff numbers include at least a few of those responsible for under-producing the last four releases of this product.
When retailers can only receive 50% of their pre-order, it's no wonder sales for Upper Deck are slipping--ours are too! Why ask distributors and retailers for pre-orders, if at least those numbers are not going to be satisfied? UDE just can't seem to figure out that pre-orders are commitments to buy. I was willing to purchase twice the amount I was ultimately allowed to. When I received word, I called no fewer than five additional distributors nationwide, in search of product, all to no success. Every one of them was tapped.
When UDE missteps repeatedly, we all suffer--manufacturer, distributor, retailer, and ultimately their end consumer. When I don't take care of my customers, they seek out alternate places to spend their money.
We retailers are asked to commit long before the buzz on a set can be anticipated, using our best judgment from past set performance to gauge our future sales. Sometimes we get it wrong, but inevitably we get close. Shortages have been the recent norm from Upper Deck on its Yu-Gi-Oh! brand. I'm beginning to believe there is no sales analysis going on. Let's hope this clearing away of the dead brush makes way for more healthy growth going forward.
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