Nintendo Switch 2: The Buzz and the Shortages
Nintendo has recently sent out signs to retailers across the US, indicating to customers that the highly anticipated Switch 2 consoles are out of stock.
A Reddit user, Alternative_Basket19, shared a snap of a sign from Nintendo, jokingly commenting, “got these signs in from Nintendo, they got jokes.†The sign displays an image of the Switch 2 alongside a prominent “Out of Stock†message.
This move seems to serve dual purposes. Firstly, it assists store staff in handling customer inquiries about stock availability. Secondly, it acts as subtle marketing. When potential buyers see the sign, it reinforces the idea that this is a hot-ticket item.
Got these signs in from Nintendo, they got jokes 🤣
byu/Alternative_Basket19 inNintendoSwitch2
Launch and Global Planning
Mark your calendars: the Switch 2 is set to drop on Thursday, June 5, gracing fans with first-party titles like Mario Kart World and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Retailers worldwide are bracing for a surge in demand, expecting stock to fly off the shelves immediately. In Japan alone, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa hinted that a “significant number†of fans may miss out on pre-order stock after a whopping 2.2 million applications for the My Nintendo pre-order lottery.
To combat the escalating issue of scalping, Nintendo has teamed up with major online marketplaces in Japan, including Mercari, Yahoo! Auction, and Rakuten Rakuma. This partnership aims to tackle unauthorized listings and includes measures like proactive removal of listings and a cooperative information-sharing framework.
Retailers in countries without official distributors are going above and beyond to secure their day one stock. One savvy shop owner in Slovenia drove to a distributor in Italy, loading up on Switch 2 consoles to meet community demand.