More In-store Numbers for SNES Classic Stock Ahead of Launch Date

We previously covered preliminary numbers for in-store units of the SNES Classic, and they were looking higher than the NES Classic stock numbers from last year (according to third party trackers). As we approach the SNES Classic release date on Friday September 29, those stock numbers continue to look consistent as more data for retailers like Target and Best Buy trickle in.

Just like last time, Brickseek (via Wario64) put up numbers for SNES Classic quantities, this time in California Targets. Wario64 tweeted last week that they heard Target shipments would be in the hundreds at the biggest stores, something that Brickseek is backing up. According to the website, large Target chains will have up to 300 units in-stores, though the stock varies by store size, with smaller stores receiving either 107 units, 69 units, or even having no units in stock.

The numbers appear to be more in-line with around 20 to 60 units in smaller stores for the rest of the country, but it's important to remember that some chains like Walmart and GameStop had less than 10 units of the NES Classic in-stores on launch day.

So what does this mean? Well, if these numbers are true then there will definitely be more SNES Classics in stock at certain locations than NES Classic systems last year. While not every retailer will have hundreds of units on hand, the fact that any one store will have more than 16 units is already a marked improvement over the NES Classic shortages.

We've covered the frustrations surrounding the SNES Classic online pre-orders previously, with the problem being that limited pre-order stock disappeared in minutes. The frustration of having to purchase scalped units at high markups was addressed by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime who told customers that they shouldn't have to pay more than the $79.99 USD suggested retail price for an SNES Classic. This implied that Nintendo would be handling the stock situation for the SNES Classic better than the company did for the NES Classic.

Again, we will try and independently verify these numbers and update the post as the story develops. Until then, it seems that Nintendo learned from the mistakes of the NES Classic launch.