Right: The updated 2023 plastic-free approach | Source: Hasbro
Hasbro just rolled back its approach to window packaging for its 6-inch scale action figure brands.
Less than a year after the company’s commitment to plastic-free packaging made its way into the action aisle with the removal of clear window boxes and blister packs for the 6-inch lines most favored by collectors, consumer feedback has led to a reversal.
In an email, the company stated that it will begin reintroducing windows and blisters to the 6-inch lines, including Star Wars: The Black Series, G.I. Joe Classified Series, Marvel Legends, and the Power Rangers Lightning Collection later this year.
The rollout will continue into 2024 for select products across Hasbro’s portfolio of brands and “will eventually expand to all new 6-inch figure releases.”
“The new windows and blisters will be made from bio PET or recycled PET helping us achieve our priority of meeting our fans’ expectations for extraordinary packaging and superior design while still developing packaging that minimizes waste and the use of virgin plastic,” the company said.
Notably, PET options were already being used prior to the removal of the windows from Hasbro packaging.
While consumer feedback — including reduced sales — led the charge in prompting the reversal, retailers have also expressed concern regarding windowless packaging since day one.
During a presentation and Q&A The Toy Book hosted for retailers at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy last June, retailers specifically asked questions about the movement toward plastic-free packaging, particularly from Hasbro.
In recent years, the 6-inch lines, designed for kids ages 4 and up but favored by collectors, have gained shelf space at independent specialty retailers, hobby shops, and comic shops across North America.
Since the move toward windowless boxes, sales have reportedly slid from collectors who view the package as part of the product but wish to see the toy inside. Additionally, the windowless boxes have led to increased issues with theft, the despicable act of “figure swapping” (also a form of theft in which unscrupulous consumers swap less desirable parts into a new package and return the figure to the store for a refund), and the inability to spot quality control issues such as poor paint applications or broken pieces.
Windowless packaging was most recently seen with the release of Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons Golden Archive Collection alongside other current 6-inch scale offerings.
