This link gives a fairly up-to-the-minute picture of whether PS3 is selling:
http://ps3finder.com/
Plenty of 'Sold Out' signs there. And plenty of places with stock. As Sony have rightly said their objective is to have every outlet showing stock available.
Why would a business
not want their products on the shelves? If you're a HD DVD fanboy don't try to answer that one - your brain might dissolve.