Has M thought of a pop up store for trains in the fall shopping season in places where there are no hardware stores? Might give the line some exposure.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Lionel tried the Kiosk idea a few years ago and it was a big flop. Of course Lionel also priced themselves into failure so it is perfectly understandable why the idea failed.
There was one at the Cherry Hill Mall in South Jersey, but the Mom and Pop customers where turned off by six hundred plus price tag on a GG1 conventional starter passenger set with no track and transformer. 
As for Menards, their price line is OK but without a line of prime movers and power they would probable fail as well.
Menard's doesn't not need a pop up store. They just need a booth at York.
MIKATT1 posted:Menard's doesn't not need a pop up store. They just need a booth at York.
Right on Dave! 
This is a variant of earlier discussions. Menards is a home improvement company which is producing trains as a very small sideline that seems to stem from John Menard's interest in the hobby.
The trains are available online year-round. Menards, as a company, isn't concerned in the way that Lionel or MTH is in marketing its line of trains, so setting up seasonal train stores is the farthest thing from the company's conservative approach to retailing.
Plus, kiosks are costly. If Menards was interested in seasonal sales for its trains beyond its own doors, it would most likely first consider supplying other seasonal shops committed to that endeavor.
And then there is the matter of volume. Sorry, O gauge trains aren't a mass-market interest anymore. Even a seasonal popup store would need to justify stocking such inventory. Highly unlikely.
