Why are retailers playing games with the wii?

My kid asked me for a wii and I said ok. I went shopping for one and couldn't find one. I looked online and that was a mess. Gamestop only has a bundle and it isn't for sale until after 10-31-07 and if you read the fine print they claim to have the right not to include something if it isn't available. Walmart has a bundle also and it seems like a better deal than gamestop's, but my kid doesn't need more than one game at this time. Best buy is out of stock. Circuit city is out of stock.

Here is where the games begin. I work in warehousing. I have worked in warehousing for a while. So while working in a warehouse I saw 50 pallets of the Wii. About 70 to a pallet. The pallets are sitting neatly in storage racks above pallets of laptop computers. The laptop computers are selected and shipped daily. The Wiis haven't moved.

So why the game? Oh, Christmas season is coming and retailers want to wait to grab as much dough as they can. I told my kid that after Christmas the Wii will be available for a decent price and I'll get them one then. My kid looked broken hearted but I showed her what people on Amazon wanted for a used Wii- a whooping 349.00.

The Wii isn't rare. Retailers are just not willing to sell a single unit at base price during the upcoming holiday season.

Whoa still a lot of shortages in the U.S then?

I understand what you mean about retailers I used to work for one I probably shouldn't mention and this was the case with DS Lite when it was released and it was 100x worse round Xmas, people would come in asking if there were any in stock and all they got was "sorry not at the moment" until a few weeks before Santa was due they put them all out.

Funny thing was.. they flew off the shelves and couldn't handle the stock demand and customers started complaining.

Serves them right, I quit right after new year.

Whoa still a lot of shortages in the U.S then?

I understand what you mean about retailers I used to work for one I probably shouldn't mention and this was the case with DS Lite when it was released and it was 100x worse round Xmas, people would come in asking if there were any in stock and all they got was "sorry not at the moment" until a few weeks before Santa was due they put them all out.

Funny thing was.. they flew off the shelves and couldn't handle the stock demand and customers started complaining.

Serves them right, I quit right after new year.

KingKoop

The Wii IS rare.

See it works like this. Stores only have so many until for the entire holiday season and they need to make them count. If they go through their Wii's right now then what are they going to draw you into the store with since they can't get more?

Stores are very cagey right now because they have to balance Wii sales over this entire period. That means you'll see the Wii only on Sundays when stores are trying to get people into the stores.

Its pretty dumb that they're holding them for christmas. If you really want to get one, its best to get to best buy on sundays right when they open.XBSHX

Why?

Getting people into the store so they buy a Wii plus something else is a bad idea?

The Wii IS rare.

See it works like this. Stores only have so many until for the entire holiday season and they need to make them count. If they go through their Wii's right now then what are they going to draw you into the store with since they can't get more?

Stores are very cagey right now because they have to balance Wii sales over this entire period. That means you'll see the Wii only on Sundays when stores are trying to get people into the stores.

Jaysonguy

This pretty much sums it up, they dont want to simply sell you a Wii, they want to sell you a Wii and whatever else they can push on you. As we move into the holiday season, you will start to see nice sells and things like that, and when people get into a packed store to go get thier Wii, they say "why go to 9 more stores that are this packed whenI can just do my shopping here" that is the reason they bogard things in stores, I mean the Wii is going to sell out regardless of when they release it, however they got more merchandise to attempt to entice you with, while you get your Wii.

Also to the TC, that bundle on GS isnt shipping on Halloween I orderd that bundle weeks ago as a gift. They pushed the date back about 3 times, but the person I bought if for recieved it yesterday as it shipped this past friday.

[QUOTE="XBSHX"]Its pretty dumb that they're holding them for christmas. If you really want to get one, its best to get to best buy on sundays right when they open.Jaysonguy

Why?

Getting people into the store so they buy a Wii plus something else is a bad idea?

If I was the kind of consumer they wanted then I couldhave the Wii tomorrow or the next day. Just buy a bundle and have it ship overnight. But I am not that kind of consumer. It is easy for parents to give in to their kids because you want to make them happy. When they ask for something, you look at them and remember holding them as babies and then you want to please them. well I am glad my kid understands, beside, most of the games they want aren't out yet. They went back to playing the cube and ps2.

All of this makes me think that Nintendo will lose sales this holiday season Because if I got it now for my kid then by Christmas I could pick up a couple of games as gifts and more money would have been spent over time. Maybe get a game for myself.

As it stands I'll get them one when I find one on a store shelf for 250.00 and one game of their choice. they might wait until the thing is 49.95 brand new.

It comes down to the all mighty dollar. It may not even be Nintendo's doing if they're in the stores but not on the shelves. It probably has more to do with retailers's corporate offices and their stupid rules. I used to work for a Lowes and we'd get pallets of tools but we were told not to put them out until "Black Friday" because they were going to be on special and they wanted to save them for that. Could we have sold the table saws and drill sets earlier, sure but companies are nuts for "Black Friday" and stock up early for it, even if it's a month away.

More than likely, some of these retailers know they have Wiis and associates want to sell them but were instructed by the corporate office not to put them out until Black Friday. More than likely there's some bundle deal, like for $350 you get a Wii packaged with another controller and a couple games or something like that and this deal will happen on black Friday and be valid only from 5am-noon and we'll watch as insane mothers and fathers rip each other apart to get one. Kid's love it and parents love the low price.

It's a shame you couldn't get one for your kid. I hope you don't go try and get one on black Friday. But check out prices for bundles and see what the best deal is. I meanyour going to buy another controller and game for it anyway right?