When Does Target/Walmart Restock Hot Wheels

About Hot Wheels

Scale-model cars have always been popular among kids, with Hot Wheels being one of the most popular manufacturers of such toys. Created by the toy-making company Mattel in 1968, Hot Wheels has been a mainstay in the toys segment for nearly 55 years now.

What made the toy car brand so popular was its use of appealing design and low-friction hard-plastic tires that did not wear out. The result was a durable model car that was easy to maneuver and roll at high speeds. And over the years, this initial design concept has been refined even further through features like shock absorption and wheel bounce.

Since the introduction of these cars, Mattel has sold well over a billion Hot Wheels. And from the looks of it, public interest in these scale model cars is not stopping soon. This is also why retailers may often run out of Hot Wheels stock on their store shelves.

In fact, you can find several kinds of Hot Wheels models on the market, with many resembling real-life exotic muscle cars.

Hot Wheels Restock: Target

Target is one of the largest merchandise retailers in the United States, with stores in virtually every corner of the country. And with such a large store network, the company makes it a point to restock in a rapid and efficient manner.

A vast majority of the restocking process occurs during the night, and schedules of the restocks are based on purchase frequency and customer arrivals. So, the restocking schedule in one location will probably not match that of another, which can make staking the store for Hot Wheels difficult.

For low-purchase areas, Target restocks its toy section twice a week, while for stores with high customer traffic, it does so five days a week. Again, this can also vary based on where your nearest Target is.

And while Target may restock the toy section twice a week, that doesn’t necessarily mean this applies to Hot Wheels as well. Hot Wheels restock may vary as well, so you will have to ask a Target employee for more details.

They can let you know more about the restocking schedule, giving you a clear idea of exactly when Hot Wheels will be restocked.

The Best Time To Buy Hot Wheels At Target

If you’re thinking about visiting your local Target on a restocking day, it may be best to reach the store early. You will be able to shop around for your favorite toy cars undeterred at around 8 to 10 a.m., well before most shoppers arrive.

Of course, there may be a few people waiting by Target to rush to the toys section even before the store opens. In such cases, you may simply have to reach the store before them and be first in the line.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to go through the hassle of staking the store, why not buy online? You can visit the Hot Wheels section on the Target website and go through the usual purchasing process.

And if you encounter an out-of-stock Hot Wheels toy, you can count on it being back in stock within a short frame. The product downtime on the Target website is quite low, and the stock can replenish before the day is over.

What Company Is Responsible For Maintaining Hot Wheels Stock At Target?

Target directly sources its Hot Wheels stock from Mattel, the Hot Wheels manufacturer. It is one of the three retailers that purchase goods directly from the manufacturer, being one of the biggest contributors to Mattel sales.

This also means that any Hot Wheels toys you purchase from Target are completely authentic, with no chance of them being copies.

Hot Wheels Restock: Walmart

Walmart is also one of the largest retailers in the United States, with a commanding retail presence all over the world. Like Target, Walmart also has a toys section with a selection of Hot Wheels toys for sale.

But unlike Target, the restocking frequency of Hot Wheels in Walmart stores is a little unpredictable. While the retailer restocks its products every night, it may not necessarily include Hot Wheels toys. As such, it may be difficult to pinpoint when a particular Hot Wheels model reaches Walmart shelves.

However, the Hot Wheels restocking frequency increases dramatically during the holiday season. Around Christmas, the store may restock its Hot Wheels selection every day, as they tend to fly off the shelves quickly around this time.

So, the store may either restock the Mattel products daily or it may wait until the existing stock is depleted. To gain a better idea of this frequency, feel free to ask a Walmart employee. They can give you a better idea of the stock status and when you can expect the products to return to the toys section.

The Best Time To Buy Hot Wheels At Walmart

Walmart follows a restocking process that is somewhat different from that of Target, beginning the process close to 8:30 or 9 p.m. As the night progresses, the products are arranged on the store shelves in a neatly presented manner. And once the morning rolls around, the restocking phase is wrapped up.

You can consider dropping by a local Walmart early morning  at around 5:30 am to purchase a newly-restocked set of Hot Wheels. Or, if you don’t mind checking the store at night, you can ask around the store just before it closes.

In either case, finding a specific Hot Wheels model is a toss-up, and you may have to wait for a while for the stock to replenish. If faced with such a situation, you can simply visit the Walmart website and look for the Mattel toys there.

Simply hit the purchase button, fill out your billing information, and the product will be delivered to your doorstep. While the delivery takes some time, if you can wait a while, the Hot Wheels of your choice will assuredly arrive at your home.

And should you ever find a particular item out of stock online, you can expect them to be back in stock within two days.

What Company Is Responsible For Maintaining Hot Wheels Stock At Walmart?

Like Target, Walmart is one of the three companies that can source Hot Wheels from Mattel. This is due to the store being a household name and being a large contributor to the profits made by Mattel. 

As such, there is no chance of the product being counterfeit. This cannot be said for other retail stores, as they often receive their stock of Hot Wheels from wholesalers.

Hot Wheels Inventory Refill Notification

Target and Walmart have an inventory refill notification for each product on their website. By opting into this, you will receive an email or text notification once the Hot Wheels model is back in stock.

For this, you can visit either website, find the product, and hit the “Notify Me” button. If you haven’t logged in already, the website will ask for your email address. Once you provide it, all you have to do is wait for the inventory to refill.

Conclusion

For both Target and Walmart, it can be quite difficult to know when Hot Wheels are restocked in a precise manner. Their restocking frequencies and shipment status from Mattel both affect this, so the best one can do is to keep an eye on their respective websites.

Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to ask a store employee about the restocking status of a specific Hot Wheels model. For this, the best time would be early morning or late at night, depending on how the store goes about the restocking process.

Regardless of the store you pick, you can rest assured that the models available for purchase are authentic and directly sourced from Mattel. There are far too many counterfeit products lurking in the market with a fake Hot Wheels sticker on them. And purchasing from these stores is a good way to avoid them.