Author Topic: Fred Meyer loves the Wii (Read 14671 times)

WalkingTheCow · « **on:** November 07, 2006, 12:01:31 AM »

Again, I work for Fred Meyer, a chain of department stores in the United States' northwest owned by Kroger, and Fred Meyers loves the Wii.

Lemme 'splain.

Wii gets. . .

midnight launch with 70-100 units. (I know this sounds ridiculous. . . and it is, but it's been verified numerous times. What happened is that they decided to do the midnight launches in only the bigger stores, 82 to be exact, and leave the other stores with a smaller amount (10-16) for a normal launch. That being said, I'm inclined to believe this means 70. 100 just seems way too optimistic)

Wii gets. . .

An advertisement disc for the whole week heading into launch. What I'm refering to is the image on the television. Every month we get a new DVD that we are to play on our televisions showing movie trailers, music videos, and indeed, game advertisements. We are getting a DVD on the 12th, which we are to put in immediately, that is NOTHING except Wii videos and previews. This disc is to stay in the player untill the end of the 19th.

Wii gets. . .

An electronics department filled with employees wearing Wii t-shirts (we got to order our sizes!) for the week leading into launch (again, 12th - 19th).

Wii gets. . .

Signs in the store entrances advertising the Wii and our midnight launch

In contrast, the PS3 launch will be seeing a normal morning store opening and 6-12 units (more evenly distributed between the stores). . . and a bunch of Wii t-shirt wearing employees standing in front of a Wii sign whilst a Wii advertisement runs in the background.

So. . . I kid you not when I say (and say it with me). . . Fred Meyer loves the Wii.

I thought this was of incredible interest. Has Nintendo buddied up with other retailers to this ridiculous extent? Is that their mad-genius marketing strategy?

(northwesterners feel free to verify all these claims on the 12th (13th might be better, lord knows stuff comes late) if you live near a large Fred Meyer store, it should be a lovely sight)

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #1 on:** November 07, 2006, 12:13:24 AM »

Oh and I just remebered some additional information that might be of interest. On some memos that all the electronics employees had to read there were some suggested responses to customer questions regarding console availability.

Regarding the Wii, it suggested we tell customers that we'll get more in by November 28th and then every subsequent tuesday through the end of the year.

Also, for those interested, the suggested response for the PS3 was that we'll get more in mid-december. "Mid-December" were the exact words.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 07, 2006, 12:24:09 AM »

My guess is that this is the kind of retailer interest you get when you provide good profit margins with a boatload of product to retail. You get the retailer to push the product for you. Seems like a very interesting new marketing scheme by Nintendo and one I hope pays off.

I don't know what a Fred Meyer store is, so I'm gonna guess that its some Canadian store. Do they have Wii ads on T.V. where you are? Is the in-store Wii promotional push date also the same date they start broadcasting Wii ads on T.V.?

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #3 on:** November 07, 2006, 12:30:40 AM »

No no, United States Northwest. Washington, Oregon, Idaho and, indeed, Alaska. I'm in Oregon.

So no. I'm seeing the same TV ads we all are. Occasional Wii logo in a multiplatform game commercial. Southpark's done more for the Wii on television than Nintendo has bothered to yet.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #4 on:** November 07, 2006, 01:04:26 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: WalkingTheCow
No no, United States Northwest. Washington, Oregon, Idaho and, indeed, Alaska. I'm in Oregon.

So no. I'm seeing the same TV ads we all are. Occasional Wii logo in a multiplatform game commercial. Southpark's done more for the Wii on television than Nintendo has bothered to yet.

Fred Meyer is the best! Even though their prices are higher than most retail chains like Target or Walmart I prefer shopping there because of the enviroment and the people.

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #5 on:** November 07, 2006, 01:08:50 AM »

That's because we actually get benefits and a decent wage. . . Granted, they could pay me more. After shopping at Fred Meyer a great deal, Wal Marts seem like such stagnant and miserable places.

ShyGuy · « **Reply #6 on:** November 07, 2006, 06:10:02 AM »

Well cool, if they are doing a midnight launch, I may have to get my System at Fred Meyer.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 07, 2006, 06:15:41 AM »

"Southpark's done more for the Wii on television than Nintendo has bothered to yet."

Nintendo even had a poll up in their site referencing the SouthPark episode

How bad do you want the Wii?

-Bad?
-Very Bad?
-Worse than Cartman?

IceCold · « **Reply #8 on:** November 07, 2006, 09:04:10 AM »

Seems like Nintendo had a big hand in this.. very well done. It looks like they're pushing for a big presence in retail - the Toys R Us ads, the Best Buy section, etc..

Edfishy · « **Reply #9 on:** November 07, 2006, 09:30:53 AM »

Uh... his name is Fred "Meijer", and the store chain is called, "Meijers". I haven't seen any large-scale Wii advertising in any Meijers here in Michigan yet, but I'll be on the lookout.

ShyGuy · « **Reply #10 on:** November 07, 2006, 09:38:59 AM »

http://www.fredmeyer.com/homepage/index.htm

vudu · « **Reply #11 on:** November 07, 2006, 09:38:59 AM »

Fred Meyer is not the same as Meijer.

EDIT: ShyGuy beat me.

Also, the site you linked to takes you to Peapod's website, dumbass.

Kairon · « **Reply #12 on:** November 07, 2006, 09:55:36 AM »

This is an awesome tie-in with retail. But will there be that much Wii Demand on day one?!?!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

WuTangTurtle · « **Reply #13 on:** November 07, 2006, 11:07:29 AM »

I've been expecting this since initially hearing PS3 shipments and Wii shipments. Plus I've worked retail and understand what and how much retail stores make off things. Trust me until PS3's can fulfill demand no smart retailer will care to push PS3's unless they have systems not selling for some reason. I think VGcats.com says it best http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=212.

Edfishy · « **Reply #14 on:** November 07, 2006, 03:52:16 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
Fred Meyer is not the same as Meijer.

I was referring to the other Fred Meijer, chairman of the Meijer stores around Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. I didn't realize WalkingTheCow was speaking about another store chain (I thought it odd that he'd work at the place and not get its name right). Anywho, my mistake, I appologize.

Stinks too, I was kinda hoping Meijer would push the Wii as much as WalkingTheCow was suggesting FredMeyers will.

Quote
Also, the site you linked to takes you to Peapod's website, dumbass.

Whoops, put an extra "s" on the weblink -- Repaired.

Svevan · « **Reply #15 on:** November 08, 2006, 03:12:44 PM »

COW COW COW - is there any way to tell if the Fred Meyer near me is going to be doing a midnight launch? I'm in Medford. (Oregon, word.)

If not there, or Circuit City (which is seriously two steps away from my front door) then I have to travel a whole friggin 30 minutes to the nearest open-at-midnight Wal-Mart. The Wal-Marts in my area are all opening in the morning.

OverHeat · « **Reply #16 on:** November 08, 2006, 03:37:22 PM »

Off topic slightly, that Southpark episode just may do more for the Wii than some might expect. I remember after that episode about World of Warcraft, the next week I personally sold 11 copies to people who said "The sh*t looked tight on Southpark. Is it really any good?" Well.... 7 million people cant be wrong.... unwashed, girlfriendless and near-to-losing their jobs, maybe, but not wrong. Just treat it like any good drug. Once or twice on the weekends maybe, but watch yourself, or you just might find yourself in that earlier-said category faster than you can say "YES! My first epic!"

P.S. Wii SHIRTS?!! I r teh jealous.

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #17 on:** November 08, 2006, 09:07:08 PM »

Actually yeah, I can find that out for you Svevan! There's a list of the stores doing it. Just give me untill Friday night because I've got tomorrow off.

Svevan · « **Reply #18 on:** November 08, 2006, 09:30:47 PM »

SWEET

ShyGuy · « **Reply #19 on:** November 10, 2006, 08:40:48 AM »

Well, I got in touch with my Fred Meyer contact, and he told me the one Fred Meyer in town that is doing the midnight launch (From what he understands, one store per area is doing the midnight sale) So I called them up and they confirmed. First come first serve, the store will still close at 11, then open at Midnight, so the line will be outside. They are going to have a minimim of 20 Wiis, though likely much more. I was told to call back a day or two before launch to get an exact number of Wiis.

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #20 on:** November 10, 2006, 08:53:27 PM »

Well, I thought I'd be able to track down the list of stores doing the midnight launch. . . yeah, no dice there. I can tell you that both the Medford Fred Meyers (north and south locations) are within the top 82 stores as far as videogame sales (THAT I could check. Oi.). Both stores hover in the higher 50's in the rankings so I would assume at least one of them would do it, presumably the north location as it seems to sell a smidgen more than the south location.

Sorry I couldn't find out definitely. I'd just walk in and ask them, they'll know at least. Again, the north location looks the likeliest.

Svevan · « **Reply #21 on:** November 11, 2006, 01:42:53 AM »

The north location is for hobos, but I guess I'll ask.

Thanks for all the help Cow! You may have saved me a trip to *ugh* Grants Pass.

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #22 on:** November 16, 2006, 08:58:11 PM »

CONFIRMATIONS:

Ok. My store has 74 Wiis, a rather dissapointing DVD playing on the TVs (It's only about 5 mins long and loops, so don't be shocked if your location ditched it. After a few hours it kinda can get to you. Really effective though, I'll see people watch it and then come over to me and ask about availability and pricing), signs in all entrances and all the launch games ready to go.

We were supposed to get 6 PS3s but FedEx managed to lose 4 of them, they just happened to be the 4 60gig units, leaving us with 2 of the 20gigs!!! Ouch! Someone made off like a bandit though. . . er, exactly like a bandit I guess.

We've called around to other locations (Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy) in our town and 6 seems to be a common number for PS3s while Best Buy couldn't seem to say for sure. We seem to have the most Wiis but most stores had around 40-50, so they aren't too far behind.

Oh, yeah, and as you may have noticed the Wii shirts are in full effect.

vudu · « **Reply #23 on:** November 17, 2006, 04:42:09 AM »

Quote
Oh, yeah, and as you may have noticed the Wii shirts are in full effect.

Jeez, I didn't even realize; I thought that was a picture of Fred Savage.

WalkingTheCow · « **Reply #24 on:** November 17, 2006, 07:00:05 AM »

HAHAH! Holy crap, I completely see it! Ha! Now I need to put up a different picture.

(I don't look a damn thing like Mr. Savage)

News:

Author Topic: Fred Meyer loves the Wii (Read 14671 times)