stuffed animal shops

If you do these, how do you feel about the changes?

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I am not really surprised by it. Many of my stores put the stock out themselves so all i am doing is making it look pretty. I didnt have a chance to look deeply at my list but i noticed some stores were dropped. I have to look at that in the morning.

I have never been asked to return so i will just keep doing what i always did.
I picked up one this week, I have never seen ip pop up before. Its right down the street from where I work. It was $27! I went and they don't even have them. I spoke to the manager and he said he has never heard of them before. So strange.
I figured this would happen eventually. Most of the stores I've been visiting has either stopped placing orders or returned unopened boxes for credit. People were getting fed up with trying to place orders only to get busy signals when calling or no orders once they finally get someone on the phone.
They took my Kroger's job away from me and wanted me to work at the gas stations or pharmacy. I said no, and they were not pleased. I did a lot.
Not really surprised about this either I'm finding a lot of times the stores aren't able to get product in. I would almost bet that this account will dry up before Christmas. I think the current merchandising company took over the product placement merchandising in late November maybe somebody's contract is up. Many of my service fees were cut again.
I get a new list for monthly shops which I accepted. I figured maybe they were doing the twice monthly ones separate. Sounds like from what I am hearing here, that is the only list I am getting. Everything that this list did not have was almost all of the CVS stores I was doing. Ironically the stores I was doing (in Detroit) were the stores that did need someone every few weeks. I was thinking I would be getting a second list. Guess that is probably not the case. Oh, well.
Mostly cutting how many times a month you visit.
@nikkinicky wrote:

I figured this would happen eventually. Most of the stores I've been visiting has either stopped placing orders or returned unopened boxes for credit. People were getting fed up with trying to place orders only to get busy signals when calling or no orders once they finally get someone on the phone.

I have been lucky with my stores. It took a little persuading but I finally got most of them to place an order. They had no idea the process has changed. The communication from TY is just awful. And CI didn't really help smooth out the transition from sales rep to IC. But now that the stores have inventory, they have been happier. I can only think of 3 stores of mine that actually wait for me to come to put the inventory out. All the rest do it themselves.
If they really want to fix the problem they need to do a few things. Provide us a brochure with the newest items to leave at the locations and provide an easier way for them to communicate and place an order. I have stores that have zero problems getting orders and I have others that are frustrated every time they try to place an order and on the flip side I have locations that are frustrated because they send to much and the location doesn't want backstock. The product is moving in every location I have, but the area I am in isn't oversaturated like other areas.
@piebaby wrote:

If they really want to fix the problem they need to do a few things. Provide us a brochure with the newest items to leave at the locations and provide an easier way for them to communicate and place an order. I have stores that have zero problems getting orders and I have others that are frustrated every time they try to place an order and on the flip side I have locations that are frustrated because they send to much and the location doesn't want backstock. The product is moving in every location I have, but the area I am in isn't oversaturated like other areas.


Exactly this. I sort of made my own brochure and bring those to the store. I went on the TY website and screenshot a few of the newer items that are good sellers and put them all on one page and then the cover page had all of the contact information for TY and the ordering process. But I pieced it all together from info I received from other stores. I found this was the easiest because often the managers are not there when I am there.
I am not happy. In my market, the store managers refuse to call for service and place orders. They insist on my cell phone number. I end up doing work for free. A manager will call they received a delivery and want it put out right away, or they are getting a visit from corporate and need me to "fluff their display ASAP". I've tried emailing CI and never receive a response so I end up doing it for free. I didn't mind because I had a fairly large route and earned enough per month to justify it. Now, my visits are once a month. I can't indulge these managers without payment. There isn't enough meat on the bone. This is sure to destroy or severely damage the relationships I have built over the past 6 months.
Honestly, outside of my being paid for extra visits because CI does not read email, it's all the client's fault. I think CI is probably on the hook for solving problems the client created themselves. At least in my market. NYC.
When you received the list, didn't it come with an explanation that all locations would now be visited monthly? If not, I can DM you what the email said. Basically just that all locations are now monthly and they hope that will change in the future.
@87Supra wrote:

I get a new list for monthly shops which I accepted. I figured maybe they were doing the twice monthly ones separate. Sounds like from what I am hearing here, that is the only list I am getting. Everything that this list did not have was almost all of the CVS stores I was doing. Ironically the stores I was doing (in Detroit) were the stores that did need someone every few weeks. I was thinking I would be getting a second list. Guess that is probably not the case. Oh, well.
Yeah, I did go back and read it. It is what it is. I feel bad for the stores I was servicing. After 4 months I was starting to build relationships. The stores that were cut needed servicing the most.

I have no doubt it is all about saving a buck on the part of Ty.
I have to admit - this entire program has been rocky from the beginning. My husband and I have been dedicating a lot of our professional time slowly expanding our routes of these. We were able to gain some more locations (around 52 locations) for next month. However, we believe we have now hit our monthly capacity, knowing it will take so much more work in many of our more urban locations that desperately need work done every two weeks. With now cutting our income in half for the month, I think it may be time to look into other programs for us.
Every single job in the city of Detroit proper is gone for me. All CVS locations. I still have 2 suburban CVS jobs.
Maybe Ty is hiring reps for certain stores.
@87Supra wrote:

Every single job in the city of Detroit proper is gone for me. All CVS locations. I still have 2 suburban CVS jobs.

There is something up with the CVS stores. They kept getting pulled. At one point, i had 10 CVS stores and i received an email saying these were no longer being serviced. They popped up again a few months later but they were pulled again.
Maybe they realized that having dedicated employee as a rep was the better way to go. I also lost a Walgreens job in Detroit but retained one in the burbs.
I’m having the same issue that many of you are having. I have some stores begging for inventory and some stores consistently receive too much. I have built relationships with management, especially the grocery stores and that has helped. There is no way I will make a second visit without compensation like one poster mentioned. I make sure all my locations know I am the merchandiser, only. I have enjoyed my route, but feel it’s likely to end within a few months time.
My locations know what my role is as well. I do not insinuate I am a Ty employee.
I saw that Ty is advertising that they are hiring sales reps on Glassdoor. ????
It makes sense. The stores I lost all require service. Sounds like for certain areas this was a failed experiment. I could not give them the time or extra services a Ty employee would be able to.
@MadiHill wrote:

I am not happy. In my market, the store managers refuse to call for service and place orders. They insist on my cell phone number. I end up doing work for free. A manager will call they received a delivery and want it put out right away, or they are getting a visit from corporate and need me to "fluff their display ASAP". I've tried emailing CI and never receive a response so I end up doing it for free. I didn't mind because I had a fairly large route and earned enough per month to justify it. Now, my visits are once a month. I can't indulge these managers without payment. There isn't enough meat on the bone. This is sure to destroy or severely damage the relationships I have built over the past 6 months.
Honestly, outside of my being paid for extra visits because CI does not read email, it's all the client's fault. I think CI is probably on the hook for solving problems the client created themselves. At least in my market. NYC.

i've never once did a stuffed animal job, but it does seem odd to me that you have so much troubling reaching this msc. they all have extensions you can reach out to. i would just call EVERYONE if necessary. whoever picks up, someone will as long as you call during business hours. also, giving out your cell number and doing work for free is wild lol
It is very easy to call and speak with CI during business hours. Anyone who has actually done work for them knows that.
Same thing....My dad was working for them and boom. 90% of my locations that are actually close by are gone and the new lists are the one that are all further away. Good thing he has just purchased an EV and have home charging to compensate on the gas money a bit, or he would be hit hard on this....I honestly think we all own an explanation on this by @dprice. Many of us took time and energy building building trust and relationships with the stores and now just one email all our effort have gone with waste. This is just beyond horrible.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2025 05:52PM by kisekinecro.
I didn't even notice that my list had changed. I just accepted it because I have been doing the same stores for months. Now that I had a minute to look at it, I noticed that there are several stores on there that I had originally gotten rid of because they were nightmares. Some of my better stores are not there. WTF. Why swap stores with other people. I need to draft up an email, gotta get out my old list and get down to nitty gritty.
It gets worse. The monthly only check and only in the 1st 2 weeks is apparently permanent.
@Datagirl wrote:

I didn't even notice that my list had changed. I just accepted it because I have been doing the same stores for months. Now that I had a minute to look at it, I noticed that there are several stores on there that I had originally gotten rid of because they were nightmares. Some of my better stores are not there. WTF. Why swap stores with other people. I need to draft up an email, gotta get out my old list and get down to nitty gritty.

You are the lucky one. My dad had tons of shops that were the visit twice per month type, and now they all change to monthly, all schedule changed, and 90% of the locations that were within15 miles radius are gone with to the schedule change, the new lists that were given to my dad "as the compensation" were all 30 miles away, and almost none of them were shops that he did in the past, in short, a bran new route

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2025 07:52PM by kisekinecro.
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