Hasbro 2014 Annual Report Download - page 22

products, for the most part, in areas of the world where we do not otherwise maintain a direct presence. While we
have thousands of customers, the majority of our sales are to large chain stores, distributors and wholesalers.
While this concentration of customers provides us with certain benefits, such as potentially more efficient
product distribution and other decreased costs of sales and distribution, this also creates additional risks to our
business associated with a major customer having financial difficulties or reducing its business with us. In
addition, customer concentration may decrease the prices we are able to obtain for some of our products and
reduce the number of products we would otherwise be able to bring to market. During 2014, net revenues from
our three largest customers, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Toys “R” Us, Inc. and Target Corporation represented 16%,
9% and 8%, respectively, of consolidated global net revenues, and sales to our top five customers, including
Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us, Inc. and Target, accounted for approximately 38% of our consolidated global net
revenues. In the U.S. and Canada segment, approximately 59% of our net revenues were derived from these top
three customers.
We advertise many of our toy and game products extensively on television. In addition, we engage in digital
marketing and advertising for our brands. Generally our advertising highlights selected items in our various
product groups in a manner designed to promote the sale of not only the selected item, but also other items we
offer in those product groups as well. Hasbro Studios produces entertainment based primarily on our brands
which appears on Discovery Family Channel in the U.S., other major networks internationally and on various
other digital platforms, such as Netflix and iTunes. Beginning in 2015, Hasbro Studios will begin distributing
certain programming domestically to other outlets, including Cartoon Network. We introduce many of our new
products to major customers during the year prior to the year of introduction of such products for retail sale. In
addition, we showcase certain of our new products in New York City at the time of the American International
Toy Fair in February, as well as at other international toy shows, including in Hong Kong and Nuremburg,
Germany. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, we incurred $420,256, $398,098 and $422,239, respectively, in expense
related to advertising and promotion programs. Certain entertainment-based products, such as products based on
major motion pictures, generally do not require the same level of advertising that we spend on other non-
entertainment based products.
Manufacturing and Importing
During 2014 substantially all of our products were manufactured in third party facilities in the Far East,
primarily China, as well as in our two owned facilities located in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts and
Waterford, Ireland.
Most of our products are manufactured from basic raw materials such as plastic, paper and cardboard,
although certain products also make use of electronic components. All of these materials are readily available but
may be subject to significant fluctuations in price. There are certain chemicals (including phthalates and BPA)
that national, state and local governments have restricted or are seeking to restrict or limit the use of; however,
we do not believe these restrictions have or will materially impact our business. We generally enter into
agreements with suppliers at the beginning of a fiscal year that establish prices for that year. However, significant
volatility in the prices of any of these materials may require renegotiation with our suppliers during the year. Our
manufacturing processes and those of our vendors include injection molding, blow molding, spray painting,
printing, box making and assembly. The countries of the Far East, particularly China, constitute the largest
manufacturing center of toys in the world and the substantial majority of our toy products are manufactured in
China. The 1996 implementation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade reduced or eliminated customs
duties on many of the products imported by us. We purchase most of our raw materials and component parts used
in our owned manufacturing facilities from suppliers in the United States and certain other countries.
We believe that the manufacturing capacity of our third party manufacturers, together with our own
facilities, as well as the supply of components, accessories and completed products which we purchase from
unaffiliated manufacturers, are adequate to meet the anticipated demand in 2015 for our products. Our reliance
on designated external sources of manufacturing could be shifted, over a period of time, to alternative sources of
supply for our products, should such changes be necessary or desirable. However, if we were to be prevented
from obtaining products from a substantial number of our current Far East suppliers due to political, labor or
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