Retail ponders Wii street price rise

The UK High Street is this morning ‘digesting’ the news that the Wii trade cost is set to rise, and hasn’t ruled out an increase in the console’s street price.

The trade price for Nintendo Wii is set to increase by around 16.50 (approximately 19 including VAT) due to the ‘continuing depreciation of the pound,’ and leading High Street chains are currently deciding on their response to the announcement.

An HMV spokesperson told MCV: We are still digesting this announcement, and are currently evaluating our response to it.”

Comet’s Debbie O’Neill added: The price increase has come as a surprise for us and as you can imagine, not a welcome one as it puts Comet in a difficult position.

Regarding retail price I cannot really comment but we will remain competitive.”

CHIPS’ joint MD Don McCabe also expressed surprise at Nintendo’s announcement: It must be the first time I have seen the price for a console rise in all the time I have been in this industry,” he said.

In some respects Nintendo must suspect that they got the price wrong from the start.

"To have a machine that even now is still allocated and at key periods can still be sold at a premium on eBay, must indicate that they could have set a slightly higher retail from the start.”

Supermarket giant Sainsburys, who recently slashed the Wii to below 160 in a temporary promotion, has stated that ‘no decision’ has been made yet on the price of the console.