By Nicole Maestri
Stores IncMother's
Day
Through May 11, shoppers who "pre-order" the $89.74 game,
or pay in advance to guarantee delivery when the game launches,
will also get a $10 online gift card to use for a future order
at Walmart.
"Initial response is extremely strong, and we're feeling
really good about Nintendo Wii Fit dominating the home page,"
said Kelly Thompson, Walmart's chief merchant, of early
shopper demand for the game. "... We really like the angle of
marketing it to Mom."
The move comes as retailers look for creative ways to
entice shoppers to keep spending amid the economic downturn.
Many U.S. consumers are shunning discretionary purchases as
more of their budgets go toward rising food and fuel costs, and
they have run out of access to easy credit to fund their
shopping sprees.
Retailers now see holidays, like Mother's Day on May 11, as
potential bright spots when cash-strapped shoppers may be
persuaded to spend some of their limited cash.
STRONG SALES GROWTH
But the survey also found that consumers will shell out
$1.2 billion this Mother's Day on consumer electronics like
digital cameras, digital photo frames and video cameras.
In addition, while U.S. consumers have pulled back on many
discretionary purchases, video game hardware and software
continue to post strong sales growth.
U.S. sales of video game hardware and software rose 57
percent in March from a year earlier, according to market
research firm NPD.
Sales of gaming hardware, software and accessories hit $1.7
billion in March, led by Nintendo's Wii console, which posted
its biggest nonholiday month ever. Wii Fit, to be played using
the Wii console, has already has sold more than a million units
in Japan.
Walmart is seeing a trend toward consumers buying more
tech-related gifts, like digital photo frames or cameras, for
mothers, Thompson said.
With Wii Fit, Nintendo is trying to appeal to new video
game users, like women and older consumers.
"You'll see our marketing programs really reach out to both
genders and a range of ages," said Cammie Dunaway, executive
vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo's U.S.
operations, in an interview with Reuters in February.
Dunaway said such gamers will still be drawn to the novelty
and sophistication of Wii Fit and its bathroom scale-sized
controller, which uses sensors to detect subtle shifts in a
person's stance.
(Additional reporting by Scott Hillis in San Francisco;
Editing by Brian Moss)
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