GameStop on Wii U wait list figure compared to actual sales
Early reports from GameStop stated that 500,000 customers were on the retailer’s Wii U wait list. But as we now know, only 320,000 consoles were sold in November and December.
GameStop spokesperson Matt Hodges explained the discrepancy:
“Our initial allocation from Nintendo was not 500,000 units. We never disclosed that number; we only stated that we had reserved thru those units in the first 48 hours of them being offered. NPD reported sales of 463,000 Wii U units in the U.S. in December. That number added with those sold in November brings the LTD total to 888,000.”
Hodges went on to say that a person being on a wait list doesn’t necessarily translate to a sale:
“One thing to consider about the people who signed up for our waiting list is that they had no financial commitment to do so. So it is possible that they purchased their Wii U from another retailer.”
