In a surprise move, UK retailer Asda has pulled the Wii U console and Wii U games/accessories from all of its 555 store locations in the UK. This is the follows several attempts at price cuts on the console by the retailer. The retailer has no plans to stock the units, accessories, or games at the retail level in the future. The retailer will be offering select Wii U titles on a case by case basis on its online portal, but that too could end if sales are not good enough to warrant stocking Wii U titles.

The decision by Asda to pull the plug on the Wii U at retail begs the question, “Are other retailers around the world looking at pulling the plug on the Wii U at retail as well?” This is a difficult question to answer, but sources we have spoken with in North America at least, tell us that they know of no plans that any retailer in North America has to pull the plug on the Wii U at retail.

What we do know however, is that some retailers have decreased the amount of floor/shelf space that they have allocated to the Wii U. As one analyst told us, “I don’t think anyone will plug the plug on the Wii U at retail till after the holidays. I can see retailer’s shrinking floor and shelf space, but they will want to see if Nintendo can rebound this holiday season with the availability of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 expected to be tight, some might purchase the Wii U.”