Online Retail vs Street Dates

May 16th, 2013, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster

Day one delivery is crucial to online retailers. It drives pre-orders and secures sales that may otherwise have gone to High Street rivals.
However, this is dependent on shipping and delivery times.
To ensure a game arrives on release day – besting the convenience of picking it up in-store – sites must depend on Royal Mail, couriers or other third-party services.
Many sites send out games early to account for potential delays: a seemingly sensible solution, but one that can result in consumers receiving the title ahead of the publisher’s street date.
This is long-running issue came to a head this month when ShopTo refused to stock any future Activision products over a dispute around Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Site owner Igor Cipoletta told MCV the publisher’s shipping policy, which limits when retailers can send out copies of the game, damages ShopTo’s ability to guarantee day one delivery to customers.
Some sites use this as justification for early shipping. Naturally publishers grumble, but the most vocal protestors is often other retailers, who feel unfairly disadvantaged by the few that purposefully ignore shipping rules.
But should all online retailers be allowed to ship early if it ensures customers get their goods on day one?

“If a good friend agreed not to tell my mum
about a surprise party and they took it upon
themselves to tell her four days early,
I would not be happy.”

Craig Constantinides - business development boss, Go 2 Games

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