NES Classic Edition has been sold out in all retailers since its launch in the market Nov 11, 2016. A lot of people are still trying to get their hands on the old school set of the Classic Edition.
Today is the last day that consumers can catch the stocks at Walmart. Walmart made new stocks for the mini NES Classic Edition available everyday at 2 p.m. PST. The deal started on November 14 and goes through Nov.ember 18.
Here's what buyers can do. Visit the Walmart website's NES Classic Edition page then bookmark it. Buyers should notice that the resale units are overpriced. They shouldn't worry; the amount is just a placeholder. The actual retail price is $59.96. For buyers who are desperate to get their hands on the one NES Classic Edition, it is suggested that they'd be alert since there is only a very brief window of opportunity.
This similar strategy is what Amazon demonstrated on the launch day of NES Classic Edition. Amazon gave the customers a go signal only at 2 pm for hundreds of customers waiting to click. Their stocks sold out in a few moments.
This NES Classic Edition event is a classic scenario of high demand and extremely low supply. Most retailers seemed to have a very limited amount of stock on the launch day. Judging from the limited time it took for the units to be sold out, it is possible that the retailers have sold everything on their inventory.
This event can possibly be explained in two ways. It's either Nintendo did not expect the popularity of the NES Classic Edition and decided not to manufacture a sufficient number of units. It could also be a strategy to manipulate market demands by holding off the supply or what experts call managed scarcity. It is not the first time that Nintendo has gotten those accusations.
Managed scarcity spreads the idea of a sold-out and in-demand product. It feeds the hype of the public. Companies know that hype can translate to sales. Buyers are hoping Nintendo will release sufficient number of NES Classic Edition units just in time for the holidays.