Target Online Sales Thread

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by BRob1

If you have an issue with people calling and asking for cards then that works. I have yet to see swarms of people coming in and out of the store and I live in card hunter central. Most people calling are sitting home speed dialing every store in their metro area. They'll only physically check the closest one(s).

And when they can’t dial, they’ll just give up?

I don’t know what it’s like around you but people I encountered covered about 2-2.5 hours worth of stores regularly.

If nothing changes with getting cards in physical stores Barnes and Noble will end up just like Target.

[theshowandme]

Originally Posted by JeremyNick

And when they can’t dial, they’ll just give up?

I don’t know what it’s like around you but people I encountered covered about 2-2.5 hours worth of stores regularly.

If nothing changes with getting cards in physical stores Barnes and Noble will end up just like Target.

Idk how people do that. Driving around NoVA with traffic to the dispersed Barnes and Noble/Walmart locations would drive me insane. After tolls and gas you are making no profit unless you can clear multiple locations

[ATeamHasNoName]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

Idk how people do that. Driving around NoVA with traffic to the dispersed Barnes and Noble/Walmart locations would drive me insane. After tolls and gas you are making no profit unless you can clear multiple locations

Yup. Only to and from work or not at all. So much wasted time


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[BRob1]

Originally Posted by JeremyNick

And when they can’t dial, they’ll just give up?

I don’t know what it’s like around you but people I encountered covered about 2-2.5 hours worth of stores regularly.

If nothing changes with getting cards in physical stores Barnes and Noble will end up just like Target.

Nothing is black and white. however yes, many people that are calling won’t actually take 45 minutes round trip to randomly see if they have cards at a store a ways away. sure some will. My uneducated guess is the store i check is getting probably 50 people a day walking in and looking to see if they have anything and leaving. Not that big in the grand scheme.

i recall you saying your target would have 5-10 people at opening on fridays. all the ones in my area would have 30-50 people. when i go in to check b&n, sometimes i see maybe one other guy checking, sometimes i see none. point being my area is crazy with retail hunters and i’m not seeing much of an issue yet, other than the manager telling me they were getting an obscene amount of phone calls.

Now if they were to start stocking prizm things might change a little but it’s not the environment where people just stand next to the display all day waiting for a stock. People are in and out. store stocks at their discretion and probably wouldn’t if there were guys camped i’d guess.


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[Campbelljh3]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

Over/under 2 weeks before a brawl erupts in a Barnes and Noble? I can see it now. The philosophy and cookbook section being knocked over, Starbucks coffee spilling everywhere, etc.


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Thai made me literally laugh out loud lol

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by BRob1

Nothing is black and white. however yes, many people that are calling won’t actually take 45 minutes round trip to randomly see if they have cards at a store a ways away. sure some will. My uneducated guess is the store i check is getting probably 50 people a day walking in and looking to see if they have anything and leaving. Not that big in the grand scheme.

i recall you saying your target would have 5-10 people at opening on fridays. all the ones in my area would have 30-50 people. when i go in to check b&n, sometimes i see maybe one other guy checking, sometimes i see none. point being my area is crazy with retail hunters and i’m not seeing much of an issue yet, other than the manager telling me they were getting an obscene amount of phone calls.

Now if they were to start stocking prizm things might change a little but it’s not the environment where people just stand next to the display all day waiting for a stock. People are in and out. store stocks at their discretion and probably wouldn’t if there were guys camped i’d guess.


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The crap with Target didn’t happen overnight. If we see cards in physical stores again, it won’t be an issue.

If we don’t you can expect B&N to get hammered when hot products come out.

[Handsome Wes]

So, uh, does anyone know if Target will be selling the 2021 factory sets - either online or in store? And if online, has the link gone live yet?

[ATeamHasNoName]

Originally Posted by Handsome Wes

So, uh, does anyone know if Target will be selling the 2021 factory sets - either online or in store? And if online, has the link gone live yet?

Haven’t heard or seen. Isn’t that much later? Like Fall-ish?


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[JoeKellyFan]

Blowout guide to buying cards: Avoid all social interactions. Try to buy cards in person without being present.

Seriously though, I don’t get why people think it’s a bad thing BNs getting more traffic in the stores. Thats what they want. Sure it can be a little annoying to the employees, but it’s not like BN was super busy beforehand. If it does get to that extreme level some people make it out to be, then that forces BN to hire/schedule more people.

Also BN isn’t exactly like Target or Walmart where they can afford taking one of their most in demand products off the shelves

[chester0711]

Originally Posted by CircleTheWagon

Barnes and Nobles. Once Prizm hits those shelves, they are going to wish they never got in the card game.

One of the B&N near me has already resorted to putting cards behind counter instead of out on rack. I walked in and looked to see what they had behind counter the other day and a very annoyed lady looked at me and said, "nope, no sports cards, we are out!"

B&N will drop this quicker than a hot coal.

[chester0711]

Originally Posted by JoeKellyFan

Blowout guide to buying cards: Avoid all social interactions. Try to buy cards in person without being present.

Seriously though, I don’t get why people think it’s a bad thing BNs getting more traffic in the stores. Thats what they want. Sure it can be a little annoying to the employees, but it’s not like BN was super busy beforehand. If it does get to that extreme level some people make it out to be, then that forces BN to hire/schedule more people.

Also BN isn’t exactly like Target or Walmart where they can afford taking one of their most in demand products off the shelves

It isn't the kind of traffic they want. My cousin is a store manager and she said it basically brings people into the store who care nothing about books or any other product they sell. They check the card shelf, bother 3 people to see when, what and if they will stock something, then leave when they find out that the people stocking the floor dont know.

[theshowandme]

Originally Posted by chester0711

It isn't the kind of traffic they want. My cousin is a store manager and she said it basically brings people into the store who care nothing about books or any other product they sell. They check the card shelf, bother 3 people to see when, what and if they will stock something, then leave when they find out that the people stocking the floor dont know.

It's because 90% of the people doing this have an 8th grade reading level

[panamamyers]

I actually did pick up a few math workbooks for my kids for the summer months while I was in b&n looking for cards last week. I would have never bought it from there had there not been cards to look for. Would have been Amazon all the way.
They should do like a Montgomery Club deal.
Make you get a membership and first 30 on a list get an email and it gets held at the counter. Every new product that is dropped has those people on the list. No need for anyone to wait in their aisles or ask about it.
They get all the money from the sales, adding millions of dollars of sales and memberships annually...perhaps other impulse buys as well..
Done deal.

[vinnieb]

Originally Posted by chester0711

One of the B&N near me has already resorted to putting cards behind counter instead of out on rack. I walked in and looked to see what they had behind counter the other day and a very annoyed lady looked at me and said, "nope, no sports cards, we are out!"

B&N will drop this quicker than a hot coal.

My B&N (NoVA) has had the higher demand cards behind the counter for months, and my kids and I ask the people at the counter once or so a week and they never seem irritated. As someone before stated, these places aren't that busy, and the people that tend to work at B&N, in my experience, tend to enjoy talking with customers, so they never mind when we ask.

Unless it becomes a safety issue or it costs them money (likely due to a safety issue) why would the fact that a few employees are annoyed result in the company abandoning card sales? Target didn't stop selling cards in store because the employees were annoyed, they did it because it became a liability. Unless that happens, I don't see why a company would stop selling something that is driving people to the store, who otherwise would never come in. Unless I'm missing something.

[glassofwater]

All of my bn have an Instagram page, will post on stories the stock they put out for the day. No need to call if you see the post 2 hours late it’s gone.

[JoeKellyFan]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

It's because 90% of the people doing this have an 8th grade reading level

Businesses are always looking for cost effective ways to bring in different types of customers than their usual niche. I don’t think lots of managers realize this and rightly so, that’s not their job, it’s on the corporate side.

It’s an extreme example, but just look at a business like Amazon especially in their early days but even also currently. Started off a book company and now their goal is global domination.

[BRob1]

Originally Posted by chester0711

It isn't the kind of traffic they want. My cousin is a store manager and she said it basically brings people into the store who care nothing about books or any other product they sell. They check the card shelf, bother 3 people to see when, what and if they will stock something, then leave when they find out that the people stocking the floor dont know.

if they thought this would just be an add on for guys buying books, or if they thought the guys buying cards would also buy a book that’s silly. no offense but retail employees aren’t looped in to the corporate level strategy usually. it may annoy her but barnes wants the additional revenue.


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[BRob1]

Originally Posted by JoeKellyFan

Businesses are always looking for cost effective ways to bring in different types of customers than their usual niche. I don’t think lots of managers realize this and rightly so, that’s not their job, it’s on the corporate side.

It’s an extreme example, but just look at a business like Amazon especially in their early days but even also currently. Started off a book company and now their goal is global domination.

this ^


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[ATeamHasNoName]

Originally Posted by vinnieb

My B&N (NoVA) has had the higher demand cards behind the counter for months, and my kids and I ask the people at the counter once or so a week and they never seem irritated. As someone before stated, these places aren't that busy, and the people that tend to work at B&N, in my experience, tend to enjoy talking with customers, so they never mind when we ask.

Unless it becomes a safety issue or it costs them money (likely due to a safety issue) why would the fact that a few employees are annoyed result in the company abandoning card sales? Target didn't stop selling cards in store because the employees were annoyed, they did it because it became a liability. Unless that happens, I don't see why a company would stop selling something that is driving people to the store, who otherwise would never come in. Unless I'm missing something.

Tysons last week was fine, ghost town even during the week. This week there was noticeably more people loitering (maybe not for cards but more overall). It’ll be interesting to see what next week looks like…


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[marl1220]

Originally Posted by Jjbecker

Stupidest comment of the week. Hope you win a free prize for that one.

Are you really surprised?

[ewokpelts]

Originally Posted by ATeamHasNoName

Haven’t heard or seen. Isn’t that much later? Like Fall-ish?


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Sets usually arrive around the all star game. But didnt series 2 just drop?

[yanksfan1]

so maybe they drop online tomorrow? who knows at this point

[jimmyjam1973]

Was able to score some Prizm Draft FB Blasters today. Wouldn't usually open them, but figured why not, at $19.99 for a chance to pull a T. Law auto.

[ThoseBackPages]

i was at target today for the first time in like a week. its so sad now

[Cavaliercards]

Originally Posted by chester0711

It isn't the kind of traffic they want. My cousin is a store manager and she said it basically brings people into the store who care nothing about books or any other product they sell. They check the card shelf, bother 3 people to see when, what and if they will stock something, then leave when they find out that the people stocking the floor dont know.

Talked to a B&N Executive that happened to be doing the sweeps of stores, it is actually bringing in traffic they want and more.

These people are bringing kids who get a book or toy, their lego sales are up 9x what they were prior to carrying the cards, toy sales are up 7x, sports magazines are flying out, sports books same thing.

It's a booming success and the fact that the stores (majority) are keeping it behind the counter is helping them avoid the target issues.