More News abut the UK Shortage

November 20th, 2005, 14:59 Posted By: wraggster

Source - Times

Leading retailers have already run out of this year’s must-have gadget, the PSP — a handheld Sony Playstation — while others are down to their last few thousand. The revelation is bad news for Playstation fans and shareholders in retailers such as Game Group and Dixons.

Sony insisted this weekend that more stocks were on the way to stores — although shop staff reported deliveries were sporadic and as few as 10 units were being delivered to individual stores. “We are a victim of our own success,” said a spokesman for Sony.

Amazon, the online retailer, has warned customers it cannot guarantee delivery before Christmas and on Ebay, the online auction site, PSPs are being sold at a big premium to their retail price. The Sunday Times contacted Dixons, Comet, Currys, Argos and HMV stores across the country. None of those contacted had any PSPs in stock.

“We are out of stock at the moment because we’ve had so many orders for them,” said a shop assistant at Dixons. “The chances are there won’t be any for a long time. That’s nationwide.” However, a spokesman for Dixons insisted that a number of its stores still had PSPs in stock.

At Game in Manchester a shop assistant said: “All the units that are arriving tomorrow have been reserved.”

In September Martin Long, the chief executive of Game Group, reassured shareholders about the availability of PSPs. A spokesman claimed that the stores had received a new delivery on Thursday. The shortage could have a long-term effect on retailers. Christmas is a key trading period and if fewer units than expected are sold this season, software sales in 2006 will be hit hard.

Microsoft will launch the latest version of its games console, Xbox 360, this week. Industry observers have already expressed similar concerns about a shortage in the run-up to Christmas.

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