As we all know, both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are in high demand. Stock is limited and retailers are battling over the next set of units. This means — that for stores like EB Games, JB Hi-Fi and Big W — pre-orders are all important. If they can prove demand is high at their store, they’ll get more consoles.
That’s why staff at Big W have been informed to try and sell pre-orders onto customers frustrated at the fact both consoles will most likely sell out quickly.
In a memo obtained by Kotaku, staff were clearly informed of the strategy.
“For each store, Day One Stock allocation has been calculated based on pre-orders,” it reads.
“Market demand has been extremely high on these products, Big W will be under allocation Day 1 and Xmas on both consoles.
“The shortage in the market will create some frustration among our customers,” read the memo. “This is an opportunity to remind them that Big W, unlike some of our competitors, has received a correct supply on the PS4 Xmas drop.”
“We cannot highlight enough the importance for for our customers to pre-order now their [sic] consoles for Xmas.”
It sounds devious but, in reality, it’s simply the words of a retailer attempting to run a business. It might seem a little unsavoury to take advantage of a shortage like this but maybe pre-ordering a console, when there is a legitimate shortage, is an advisable course of action. Still, it’s interesting to see behind the curtain, to get a glimpse at the methods retailers employ to part us from our hard-earned cash.