It's a DISPLAY box, that means we don't necessarily have any

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

IMO, stores shouldn't have display boxes for items like Wiis out on the shelf unless they actually have Wiis in stock or put up a sign saying that the item is out of stock. It leads people to believe the store has something they don't have and sets the employees for suckage from customers.

Of course, SCs won't read the sign, but at least you can say you let them know.

[Dave1982]

Display boxes = Empty boxes. Allows the customer to "see" the product without actually holding a live unit.

I too despise them, but the fact is that not only does corporate insist that the empties be there regardless of the in-stock situation, sometimes the vendors do as well. For instance, if you see an endcap display for a given item, odds are the vendor paid big bucks to have their items displayed in that manner. Therefore, per the agreement between the retailer and the vendor, you MUST maintain the look of that endcap even if you don't expect the product to be in-stock until NEXT CHristmas, else the company can face financial sanctions under that same agreement.

Still, that doesn't mean that the empty boxes are put out on a 1 for 1 basis with what you have in stock. I can't tell you how many times some has brought up an empty box after blantantly ignoring the OUT OF STOCK tag that obsured the price for said item, then got mad when it was *gasp* out of stock!!

[Aislin]

See, this is why I like my local Shoppers Drug Mart location, they have the display box, but a sign taped to the front of it saying WII NOT IN STOCK

We do that every year around now with the displays of camera's, little out of stock stickers. Half the time management freaks about them, the other half the customers still ask "do you have any of this in stock?" Then I glare at them, say no and walk away. Asking me if I will have any more in stock before Christmas on THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS when we close in 2 hours isn't funny.

[Mike Taylor]

Never had anything quite like that, but I have had plenty of customers offering to buy my Wii demo unit. (Can't be sold)

I get those, too.

Customer: Can I buy the display?

Me: Not if I value my job.

[orcprincess]

I tend to be the whacko who gets upset that there aren't any small shirts left at a store after a sale, and want to disrobe the mannequin, because I know they always put the smallest sizes on the mannequins. And they won't do it

They won't give you your size just cause it's on the mannequin? Thats a good way to lose business. At our store, we gladly give people whatever size they need, as long as we have it!! Who cares if you have to spend a few more minutes dressing the mannequin up again? I do that all day! Sounds like laziness to me!