Forget Best Buy, head to Sears for the PS3 launch
On Nov. 17, everyone and their mother will likely be descending on big video game retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City and Toys "R" Us to try and pick up an unreserved PlayStation 3. But after breaking down some demographic and retail data, Gaming Target thinks that more obscure locations like Sears, K-mart, and CompUSA might be a better bet for anticipatory gamers.
While long lines at a big box retailer like Target are almost sure to gobble up the ten or so launch units available at each store, a specialty retailer like FYE that doesn't heavily advertise video games might have some units left over. And while most people know warehouse clubs like BJ's and Sam's for carrying 50 pound bags of cat food, members could also benefit from their little-known video game sales.
Of course, now that this recommendation is out on the web, people may leave the popular stores to line up at the once-obscure retailers, thus leaving Best Buy and company near deserted come launch day. Or maybe people will read the previous sentence and head over to the big guys because they think everyone else is heading to the smaller retailers. Is there a game theory expert in the house?
