Post by kelvin on Nov 23, 2006 10:26:18 GMT -5
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061122.gtnintendo22/BNStory/Technology/home
Best Buy stores told to 'retain' Nintendo game consoles
SHANE DINGMAN
Globe and Mail Update
The unprecedented popularity of the Nintendo Wii console has forced one of Canada's largest electronics retailers to hold back their few remaining consoles and keep them hidden until the end of the week.
Following up on rumours posted on the Internet and conversations with Best Buy Canada Ltd. employees (the Burnaby, B.C.-based company is a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Best Buy Co.), the company has confirmed there are Nintendo Wii's sitting in retail stores in the Greater Toronto Area, but they are not on the shelves.
"Shipments for product advertised in our flyers are received by stores at different times throughout the week. Some stores MAY have already received shipments to fulfill this week's advertisement," wrote Best Buy spokeswoman Heather Buksh. "With a commitment to our customers, stores that may have already received shipment of Wii have been instructed to retain this product until Friday to fulfill the advertisement in our flyer."
The flyer in question comes out Friday.
For frustrated shoppers this seems to confirm some baffling accounts of events that took place Monday, where some Best Buy locations in Toronto briefly stocked shelves, only to pull the remaining units off the retail floor after customers started snapping up the next-generation console.
Conspiracy theorists have suggested that Nintendo and retailers are creating an artificial shortage.
"I wasn't aware that there were any stocks being held back in retail," says Nintendo Canada marketing director Pierre-Paul Trepanier. "It's surprising though, I would expect them to want them to make sure all their consumers are happy ... I can assure you that at our warehouse in Vancouver, we have zero units."
Supplies are so short that Nintendo Canada has imposed austerity measures to make sure consumers get first crack at the systems.
Nintendo Canada has had to let its workers and marketing partners know that there will be no employee-plan or promotional units available to them until at least 2007, one memo suggested they go line up at the store like everyone else if they really needed it for Christmas.
Nintendo Canada, a privately held company, will not reveal how many Wiis are in the Canadian marketplace now, nor will they detail how many consumers can expect in the near future.
Major retailers such as Best Buy, Futureshop and Wal-Mart reported back to Nintendo that the launch-day consoles were 100 per cent sold out.
Nintendo says plans are in the works to get the next shipment of Wiis into stores by Thursday or Friday (in most regions, but perhaps not the Maritimes and Eastern Quebec). It's projected the retailers will get up to 50 per cent of the launch-day shipment, which if launch-day patterns repeat, could see most major retail locations with 10-40 units in stock.
Best Buy stores told to 'retain' Nintendo game consoles
SHANE DINGMAN
Globe and Mail Update
The unprecedented popularity of the Nintendo Wii console has forced one of Canada's largest electronics retailers to hold back their few remaining consoles and keep them hidden until the end of the week.
Following up on rumours posted on the Internet and conversations with Best Buy Canada Ltd. employees (the Burnaby, B.C.-based company is a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Best Buy Co.), the company has confirmed there are Nintendo Wii's sitting in retail stores in the Greater Toronto Area, but they are not on the shelves.
"Shipments for product advertised in our flyers are received by stores at different times throughout the week. Some stores MAY have already received shipments to fulfill this week's advertisement
The flyer in question comes out Friday.
For frustrated shoppers this seems to confirm some baffling accounts of events that took place Monday, where some Best Buy locations in Toronto briefly stocked shelves, only to pull the remaining units off the retail floor after customers started snapping up the next-generation console.
Conspiracy theorists have suggested that Nintendo and retailers are creating an artificial shortage.
"I wasn't aware that there were any stocks being held back in retail," says Nintendo Canada marketing director Pierre-Paul Trepanier. "It's surprising though, I would expect them to want them to make sure all their consumers are happy ... I can assure you that at our warehouse in Vancouver, we have zero units."
Supplies are so short that Nintendo Canada has imposed austerity measures to make sure consumers get first crack at the systems.
Nintendo Canada has had to let its workers and marketing partners know that there will be no employee-plan or promotional units available to them until at least 2007, one memo suggested they go line up at the store like everyone else if they really needed it for Christmas.
Nintendo Canada, a privately held company, will not reveal how many Wiis are in the Canadian marketplace now, nor will they detail how many consumers can expect in the near future.
Major retailers such as Best Buy, Futureshop and Wal-Mart reported back to Nintendo that the launch-day consoles were 100 per cent sold out.
Nintendo says plans are in the works to get the next shipment of Wiis into stores by Thursday or Friday (in most regions, but perhaps not the Maritimes and Eastern Quebec). It's projected the retailers will get up to 50 per cent of the launch-day shipment, which if launch-day patterns repeat, could see most major retail locations with 10-40 units in stock.