People have been lining up at GameStop stores all week for a chance to buy a PlayStation 5 on Black Friday — but many are walking away empty-handed
- This year, with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continuing, Black Friday is quieter than ever.
- One major exception is for video-game retailer GameStop, which started drawing lines on Wednesday, with the promise of PlayStation 5 consoles.
- Customers camped out with tents, and one man brought a full-on bed frame and mattress, for the chance to buy the much-hyped new console on Friday morning.
- But with just two PlayStation 5 consoles guaranteed per store, a lot of folks are walking away empty-handed.
The PlayStation 5 is the big item this holiday season, and it's sold out everywhere.
Just as soon as retailers restock the console, it swiftly sells out. It's in such high demand, and such low supply, that a robust resale market has sprung up — the PlayStation 5 sells for nearly double at resale sites like StockX and eBay.
That combination of high consumer interest and high resale value had some people lining up for days at their local GameStop for a chance to buy the console on Black Friday, November 27.
That's because GameStop guaranteed shoppers that every retail location would have a minimum of two PlayStation 5 consoles on what's typically the biggest shopping day of the year.
And the only way to guarantee getting one of those two consoles was by being among the first in line on Black Friday, which means lining up days ahead in some instances.
The first person in line at one GameStop location was said to have arrived on Wednesday afternoon:
A mother and son in Denver brought a camping set up:
With coronavirus diagnoses spiking across the US, and most major retailers pushing digital sales over physical, GameStop is a rare example of a retailer with long lines during the pandemic.
The company is only selling the PlayStation 5 on Black Friday at retail locations — not online. In some cases, customers waited in line for hours only to find out on Friday morning that the GameStop they were waiting at had just two PS5 consoles for sale.
"Waited for hours in the cold at @gamestop with about 30 people just to be told 'Oh hey guys we only have 2,'" one person said. "I stood outside GameStop since 3," another person said, "an then say they only got 2 ps5 an I was #7 in [line] I'm cry." Another person reported that their GameStop had seven PlayStation 5 consoles for sale, but 200 people were in line. And several people reported that their GameStop location had just one console despite assurances that each store would have at least two for sale.
GameStop representatives offered the following statement:
"This holiday, in addition to complying with all state and local requirements, GameStop is taking further safety measures to ensure the health and safety of our customers and associates. We are also making sure ALL our customers are able to get the video games hardware, games, home entertainment and pop-culture items, that are on their holiday shopping list, through the channel that works best for them. A few of those safety measures include providing customers the convenience of shopping online or using the GameStop app. Our new 'Shop in Easy Mode' options allow customers the convenience and flexibility to shop whenever, however, and wherever they want across GameStop's ecommerce platforms. For those customers that choose to shop in-store, customers can utilize our contactless pick-up and delivery options at checkout, including Delivery@Door, Same Day Delivery, and Buy Online/Pick-up in-store. Our commitment is to serve gamers safely and on their terms."
Got a tip? Contact Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.