Market six

Market six is a toy-industry term for stores outside the standard distribution channels, generally referring to specialty shops with small toy areas, such as drug stores and some department stores. Market six exclusives are relatively uncommon, especially when compared to big-box retailers like Wal-Mart or Target. Occasionally, some sub-lines will start off in "market six" stores then move to bigger chains in time. Other times, tail-end-of-the-line toys will get skipped by the big-box retailers in favor of the impending next line, and ultimately become available only—or at least primarily—at "market six" stores. Possibly the most well-known example would be the entire Reveal the Shield subline imprint of the 2010 Transformers toy line, which was almost exclusively found at "market six" stores such as Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshall's.

The term comes from the related category sometimes referred to as the "Big Five." "Market six" is the sixth market, after the five large national retail stores with large toy sections and large orders to fill them. The "Big Five" were Walmart, Target, Toys"R"Us, Kmart, and KB Toys; the bankruptcy of KB Toys and decline of Kmart have resulted in a "top three." The term "market six" is no longer used in the industry, but you may sometimes hear "emerging channels" or "alternative channels" to describe every store that sells toys and is not a member of the "top three."

Examples

• Heroes of Cybertron line (primarily found in drug stores)

• "Battle in a Box" sets (mostly found at Kohl's stores)

• Legends of Cybertron line (an example of line/size class that started in Market Six before moving into large chains)