At its recently concluded distributor meeting WizKids announced some major changes in the way it does business. Starting with the company's May releases (MechWarrior: Vanguard, Battlestar Galactica CCG, Pirates of Davy Jones' Curse CSG), WizKids products will no longer be sent out in waves, nor will there be any allocations on pre-orders.  WizKids' distributors will receive 100% of their pre-order approximately one week prior to the product's street date.  Orders placed after the pre-order deadline (the 5^th of the month three months prior to the street date) will be filled until stock runs out.

WizKids' Sales Manager, Mark Tuttle, explained the change: 'This means WizKids is taking the stocking position on its product and distributors will be able to order product based on need rather than on projection.  Further, retailers should receive their entire order for the product's release date and have the capability to reorder during the product's lifecycle.  But it's still important to note that distributor and retailer input is needed early in this process to gauge accurately the amount of product necessary to manufacture.  Retailers can help by talking to their customers and placing pre-orders early with their distributors.'

WizKids also announced that the first release of all new product lines will be sold to distributors and retailers fully returnable, provided that the retailer stock the product on their shelves for 12 weeks.  After that time, any product (down to the booster pack) that is in perfect, resellable condition may be returned to the distributor that sold the product.  The distributor can then return the product to WizKids.  This new 'returnable' policy only applies to the first product released in a product line -- and the first two products that it will be applied to are the Battlestar Galactica Collectible Card Game (shipping in May) and the HorrorClix Collectible Miniatures Game (shipping in late summer).  It would not apply to new products in already established product lines such as Marvel HeroClix: Sinister or MechWarrior: Vanguard or Pirates of Davy Jones Curse.