Every large electronics store I've been to in Europe has mp3 players from a good half dozen companies prominently on display. So while the iPod may dominate, it's not like other players are in any way hidden or hard to find.
It certainly isn't so in Brazil. Those other mp3 players normally can only be found in small, not so reputable stores here. Mostly they are from unknown Chinese brands.
Other than that, I only remember seeing a model from Sony, this year, in a large electronics store, as you put it. Everyone has an abundance of iPods, however. There is also an abundance of very cheap iPod clones, in those not-so-reputable stores.