Only about a month before the movie’s scheduled release date of June 29, Hasbro recently announced that GI Joe 2 Retaliation was being pushed back to March of next year so that it could be converted to 3D. Others have speculated that they’re reshooting scenes to give a popular star more screen time. In either case, though, the change is creating an issue for retailers, who already have licensed toy products on the shelf.

The situation may have an impact beyond the immediate case. The recent Marvel Avengers movie was a huge hit but reports were that, rather than load up on new product, many retailers took the opportunity to clear out leftover Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America merchandise.

Clearly movie merchandising isn’t going away, but these events should remind us that there are risks—for the retailers and manufacturers.

[source: Global Toy News]