Will retailers tell you if a shipment is in?

[soozowl]

Just wondering if I can call, say TRU, and ask if they got a new stock of the Take Flights & tell them a certain box letter - if they will tell you if they are in or not? Or do you have to say the actual character names, like Aviator Mater, etc..

I just hate spending my weekend running around to different stores & not even knowing if they are out yet at our stores.

[bobbyjack]

Different stores use different codes. Target uses a DCPI number, but that is only good for the first wave of items. Walmart uses a UPC code but good luck getting an employee to look for it with you on the phone. TRU is probably the best at looking stuff up for you. They use UPC and SKU codes I think. It all depends on how helpful the person on the phone wants to be. Someone else on here probably knows more than I do. I rarely resort to calling the stores. Half the fun for me is just hitting a random store on the way home to see what I can find. With 3 kids, we collect multiple toylines.