In a survey of the 98 Apple retail stores across the U.S., Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said he was unable to find any iPod shuffle units available for purchase. Munster said that most Apple Stores have waiting lists for both the 512MB and 1GB models and that while the lists vary from store to store, the average waiting list is 120 customers long. The analyst also noted scarcity of Apple’s low-cost Mac mini.
“The majority of stores have no idea when they will receive product,” Munster wrote in a research note to clients obtained by iLounge. “Those stores that do have an indication of when they will receive product suggested that limited quantities of the Mac mini and iPod shuffle will be in stock within 2 weeks. Lastly, the stores generally expected to have ample supply by the end of February.”
Munster stated that “initial demand for the Mac mini and the iPod shuffle has exceeded what Apple had been expecting.” The analyst also pointed out that “virtually every Apple Store we spoke to suggested ordering the Mac mini and iPod shuffle online instead of adding our name to the waiting list.”