But, it is what happens to most home grown companies that are still controlled by the original owner. I have seen that in home grown compamies all across the USA. When âThe Bossâ kicks the bucket, is when Maglite will fall and disappear.
I don't see any NiMHs in WalMart either. They did away with all of their good NiMHs (Duracell) and there's just a handful of Rayovac or Energizer NiMHs out there. They doubled or tripled their inventory of Alkalines, because that is what people here buy. If it wasn't the best selling battery in the US, they would not have dropped their NiMHs and doubled their Alkalines. We are a throw away country and world. Rechargeables will never be the most popular batteries. Just like no one wants electric cars here either. They will even buy the 1.5V throw away lithiums before they buy rechargeable Li-ion. People like us, on these forums, are just a minority. Maglite is for the Majority, who still buy them.
I watch the stock in my local WalMart (the flashlight stock). Ya I'm crazy, but I mark the packages, so I know when they move out. (I said I was crazy). Maglites go out of that place in good numbers. Averaging 15+ lights per month, in one store. (Two years ago, the numbers were higher). The other lights, like Brinkman, that are in the same price range as the LED Maglites, don't sell well at all. 2-5 per month. Now the really cheap plastic lights, they sell well. 4 lights with batteries for $10.00, ya they sell almost as good as Maglites.
WalMart is also starting to push the LED Maglites. They are not putting Incans back up, but putting more and more LED lights up. (Probably because of Maglite). I am starting to hoard Incan 2D Maglites. I buy one a month and put them away, so I can have lights to mod this winter. Sooner or later Incan Maglites will be really hard to find. If I don't use them, then when they do get scarce, I can sell them on ebay for twice the price.