The Snake
Member
That's the problem. They're all tiny and loaded with crap that no one wants. No one is buying all of these blindbox WoW figures or Overwatch pillows.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Can Gamestop be saved? Post suggestions!
- Thread starter Bryank75
- Start date
That's the problem. They're all tiny and loaded with crap that no one wants. No one is buying all of these blindbox WoW figures or Overwatch pillows.
Sorcerer
Member
It would be total overkill for Nintendo to do so, selling only their own products, no one needs that much Nintendo, they do fine in retail stores. The NY store works fine as a tourist destination, but even when I walked out of there I found it somewhat unnecessary. 20 dollars for tiny plushies!!!
Clarification it would overkill for Sony, and Microsoft, and even Ouya and Atari Vcs to have a chain of stores as big as Gamestop's (not picking on Nintendo).
Last edited:
Bryank75
Banned
That’s pretty expensive but I was remembering GameStop has plushies at very high prices too.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
There is no saving them. They’ve been doomed since digital games became a thing. It was inevitable that eventually that would take enough of the market and be too big a bite out of their trade-in and used game market that they wouldn’t be able to survive.
I’ve had no use for them for years other than trading in consoles when I was done with them. With some of their promo deals I got the same or more than I would selling hem in eBay or Amazon after fees and without the risk of scammers or people wanting refunds if I have shit luck and it happens to break after they get it. But that’s no big deal and I’ll just take my chances on Amazon if they’re gone when it comes time to upgrade from PS4 Pro and Switch.
I’ve had no use for them for years other than trading in consoles when I was done with them. With some of their promo deals I got the same or more than I would selling hem in eBay or Amazon after fees and without the risk of scammers or people wanting refunds if I have shit luck and it happens to break after they get it. But that’s no big deal and I’ll just take my chances on Amazon if they’re gone when it comes time to upgrade from PS4 Pro and Switch.
Hypereides
Gold Member
I've read stories about how they literally destroyed older generation consoles and games. Looks like that was kinda short-sighted.
ResilientBanana
Member
No.
trikster40
Member
1. Better value for trade-ins. I hate being offered $1 for my game to see the used copy on the shelf selling for $14.99. Nice 1500% markup there.
2. Quit with the add-on sales. Nobody likes pressure when they’re in to just pick up a game and go home.
3. This was a big pet peeve of mine when I was a manager for them. They need to make sure all employees throw their own personal bias out the window. I’ve seen people come in asking to buy a particular system, and then the employee spends 20 minutes trying to convince them to buy a different console.
I just want to feel valued, have a place to talk games without feeling pressure to reserve whatever game I’m taking about, and I want to feel that I can take my games back once I’m done and get a good value for them.
2. Quit with the add-on sales. Nobody likes pressure when they’re in to just pick up a game and go home.
3. This was a big pet peeve of mine when I was a manager for them. They need to make sure all employees throw their own personal bias out the window. I’ve seen people come in asking to buy a particular system, and then the employee spends 20 minutes trying to convince them to buy a different console.
I just want to feel valued, have a place to talk games without feeling pressure to reserve whatever game I’m taking about, and I want to feel that I can take my games back once I’m done and get a good value for them.
The Snake
Member
I had a large amount of friends who worked there back in the day (they pretty much exclusively hired teenagers in my town, so, almost all of my friends worked there) and they'd always come home with stuff they were supposed to destroy. I never understood that, either.
Animagic
Banned
For this alone, they deserve to fade away.
How incredibly stupid to do this. What a waste of opportunity
ThatGamingDude
I am a virgin
Go back to their grass roots; I remember really enjoying going to Gamestop before they bought everyone out, and tried stomping out any small business that wouldn't be bought out by them.
***** Treat your employees better; this I can't stress enough. You could have the most efficient running business in the world, but if your employees dread coming into work and have a low morale, no one is going to want to buy from them.
When was the last time you were like "Man, that person was so depressed, I'm so glad I made this purchase!"? You want to feel happy and confident about your purchase, and low morale is not going to boost that.
In sales, business is "always," good, and the sales rep is "always," in the best mood, and there's a reason for that.
* Host nerd events again; there was a few times as a kid I went for pokemon tourneys at a local Gamestop, hell, they were part of the circuit. The stores in my area I don't even think do midnight releases anymore. Even if they were to just rent out a hotel conference room and host a fighting game tourney, or maybe a meet up to play Pokemon GO! Ya know, the stuff they did when I was a kid that lead me to meet a huge number of gamers in my area.
* Stop price gouging and trying your best to get used sales. Sure you get more money out of it, but if the customer wants a new game, why the hell not just sell them the new game?
You want to buy a new Lexus? You don't want a used one? Let me just roll out the used one we have
* Focus less on random crap and more on games. If you have the store space, cool, throw up some additional racks of things that sell or project well. Most game stops I ever walk into are a small mall store or just a small space in a retail complex.
There are tons of collector/video game stores in my area, and they have huge spaces that are just jam packed with video games and controllers and stuff. Sure you might get a figurine here, or a poster there, but it's all very smartly used, and even the managers will say they watch people's eyes and where they are attracted to first to try to place their product.
Shit, one even has Japanese sit down fighting game cabs that they swap out boards on regularly, and still manage to have over 3,000 games in stock, plus other merchandise, and is the SAME SIZE as a gamestop, and STILL feels less crowded
* Drop the Papa John's mentality. There was a reason why the Papa got booted from his company, but when your WHOLE company is being run by someone like the Papa, it's going to lead to trouble. There's no checks and balances, and forcing your company to run a way instead of understanding you need to run your company what's long term profitable are two different things, and not understanding it is why businesses tend to fail.
* Treat your employees better, I'm putting it here again because WTF man, they are treated like trash
* Stop trying to compete with big box retailers, they're always going to have a lead on the niche sort of set up for consumers they have made. Sure, Best Buy and other places can sell games to an adult for their kid easily (who wouldn't just ask their kid and try to get involved with their hobbies...) but for people like us here on Gaf, we're being sold to by people who typically won't have more knowledge than we do. Remember that feeling confident about a purchase? Imagine walking into store and the person not knowing what a FPS game is, or what FPS stands for in terms of rendering.
At least Gamestop knows games and devs, versus somewhere like Best Buy where they received a hand out of "Latest titles, most projected sales," sheets so they push the right software.
* Table top stores still exist, and I still can't buy a pack of Magic the Gathering cards at Walmart, maybe Gamestop should stop trying to be the Walmart of nerd culture and understand that nerds have their niches and hobbies, and stores need to cater to that to stay alive, like doing events...treating employees well...
tldr; if table top stores can still exist and prosper, and other video game stores exist and still prosper, you're running your business wrong, if the small guys are out lasting you.
***** Treat your employees better; this I can't stress enough. You could have the most efficient running business in the world, but if your employees dread coming into work and have a low morale, no one is going to want to buy from them.
When was the last time you were like "Man, that person was so depressed, I'm so glad I made this purchase!"? You want to feel happy and confident about your purchase, and low morale is not going to boost that.
In sales, business is "always," good, and the sales rep is "always," in the best mood, and there's a reason for that.
* Host nerd events again; there was a few times as a kid I went for pokemon tourneys at a local Gamestop, hell, they were part of the circuit. The stores in my area I don't even think do midnight releases anymore. Even if they were to just rent out a hotel conference room and host a fighting game tourney, or maybe a meet up to play Pokemon GO! Ya know, the stuff they did when I was a kid that lead me to meet a huge number of gamers in my area.
* Stop price gouging and trying your best to get used sales. Sure you get more money out of it, but if the customer wants a new game, why the hell not just sell them the new game?
You want to buy a new Lexus? You don't want a used one? Let me just roll out the used one we have
* Focus less on random crap and more on games. If you have the store space, cool, throw up some additional racks of things that sell or project well. Most game stops I ever walk into are a small mall store or just a small space in a retail complex.
There are tons of collector/video game stores in my area, and they have huge spaces that are just jam packed with video games and controllers and stuff. Sure you might get a figurine here, or a poster there, but it's all very smartly used, and even the managers will say they watch people's eyes and where they are attracted to first to try to place their product.
Shit, one even has Japanese sit down fighting game cabs that they swap out boards on regularly, and still manage to have over 3,000 games in stock, plus other merchandise, and is the SAME SIZE as a gamestop, and STILL feels less crowded
* Drop the Papa John's mentality. There was a reason why the Papa got booted from his company, but when your WHOLE company is being run by someone like the Papa, it's going to lead to trouble. There's no checks and balances, and forcing your company to run a way instead of understanding you need to run your company what's long term profitable are two different things, and not understanding it is why businesses tend to fail.
* Treat your employees better, I'm putting it here again because WTF man, they are treated like trash
* Stop trying to compete with big box retailers, they're always going to have a lead on the niche sort of set up for consumers they have made. Sure, Best Buy and other places can sell games to an adult for their kid easily (who wouldn't just ask their kid and try to get involved with their hobbies...) but for people like us here on Gaf, we're being sold to by people who typically won't have more knowledge than we do. Remember that feeling confident about a purchase? Imagine walking into store and the person not knowing what a FPS game is, or what FPS stands for in terms of rendering.
At least Gamestop knows games and devs, versus somewhere like Best Buy where they received a hand out of "Latest titles, most projected sales," sheets so they push the right software.
* Table top stores still exist, and I still can't buy a pack of Magic the Gathering cards at Walmart, maybe Gamestop should stop trying to be the Walmart of nerd culture and understand that nerds have their niches and hobbies, and stores need to cater to that to stay alive, like doing events...treating employees well...
tldr; if table top stores can still exist and prosper, and other video game stores exist and still prosper, you're running your business wrong, if the small guys are out lasting you.
Last edited:
Bryank75
Banned
Great points.
Flying Toaster
Member
Gamestop gutting games, high used prices, pushing pre-orders and club membership and other added costs killed the place for me. I actually will go out of my way to go to a local mom and pop store to get a used game over Gamestop. I don't really have any desire to see them disapear but they are not for me as a consumer. Gaming at this point in my life is a hobby and I want to support those individuals that make sacrifices to keep local stores open to support my hobby my money more than the place that wants to look like a Hot Topic or Spencers my money.
Last edited:
Aurelian
my friends call me "Cunty"
I honestly don't think Gamestop is going to make it in its current form. It knows that physical game sales are declining rapidly and that you don't need to go to one of its stores to buy a console or a Funko Pop. I don't know that it'll die completely, but it might have to scale back its physical presence and accept that it's now the place you go to buy an extra DualShock instead of the home for the next Call of Duty launch.
Se_7_eN
Member
Everyone who is happy they are closing isn't thinking about the competition and buying options that they bring to the table...
The list can go on, and while some of these might not seem like great deals to us, they are beneficial for some... If GameStop closes, then there are quite a few gamers out there who will be impacted greatly, especially if it is one of the few buying options in their town.
- If everyone is sold out of the edition you want, you can always check GameStop.
- If GameStop is having a sale, you can always price match them.
- GameStop offers people who don't have the funds trade-in options.
- GameStop offers people a "Buy used" option if they don't want to or can't afford a new version.
The list can go on, and while some of these might not seem like great deals to us, they are beneficial for some... If GameStop closes, then there are quite a few gamers out there who will be impacted greatly, especially if it is one of the few buying options in their town.
Whitesnake
Banned
- As has been said in this thread, less stores but bigger stores. WAY too many stores right now. I live in the middle of bumfuck nowhere and there are about 7 or 8 gamestops within comfortable driving distance. And none of them have the retro games I want, either. Bigger stores could make use of a much bigger selection because that selection won’t be strewn across 5 different stores anymore. Especially if you focus more on the selection of games than the seelction of random Fortnite and FNaF toys.
- Either lower the prices of used games further, or give more credit for trade-ins. No more giving people credit that’s worth a sixth of what you’re selling the pre-owned game for. At that point people could sell the used game to a pawn shop and get about that much money in cash, no reason to go to a GameStop.
- Treat employees better.
radewagon
Member
Boy am I glad you asked. I guess I did just list what's wrong with them. I wanted to avoid a wall of text maybe. Anyway, here's a nice list of things they could do to save their business. Most of these are NOT easy and so, basically, impossible for them to pull off given their history.
How to save Gamestop:
* New copies are always factory sealed... obviously.
* Don't stock stuff I can get at Hot Topic. Pretty self explanatory. Be a game store first and a merch store second.
* Make your used library not suck. This means ONLY accepting complete and undamaged titles and hardware. Would it cut into their ability to stock items? Of course it would, but it would make the used games more appealing. It would also make their online store a viable place to purchase used games and consoles. Right now, it is not and that hurts them greatly.
* Properly assess and stock retro titles. Retro is blowing up right now. If there was a place where I could get a guaranteed authentic cartridge/disc for older titles without having to snipe on ebay, I'd do it. Moreso, retro shops in my area have the opposite of competitive pricing. This is an easy market to compete with. For non-complete copies, discounts should be offered.
* A rewards program like Best Buy's now cancelled gamer's club. My purchasing from Best Buy increased a good 1 billion percent when they started this program. I stopped buying games from almost everywhere. Gamestop should do the same and focus on *gasp* new games.
* Make used games secondary to new. This is a big one. I get that their model has always been built on the used dollars, but that is becoming untenable due to the switch to digital and the highly competitive pricing of new games via other outlets. If used is no longer keeping them afloat, it's time to cut most of that model lose.
* More Gamestop exclusives and exclusive content. Look. As a gamer and customer, I kind of hate this stuff, but it is one of the few things that will get me to shop at Gamestop these days. Take advantage of that.
* Partner with companies that focus on physical copies. Why is it that Best Buy has the business partnership with Limited Run Games? That should have been yours to take. Physical copies are all the rage. A partnership with the aforementioned Limited Run Games would be clutch. Also, there's Strictly Limited Games, Special Reserve Games, Playasia, etc. Heck. Publishing your own physical copies of digital only games would also work. I know they have tried on a limited basis, but clearly they backed the wrong horses.
* Stock gaming hardware that no one else will. Man, I would love it if I could get the following products at a store near me instead of having to go online and wait forever: 8bitdo controllers and receivers, FPGA consoles from Analogue (like the Mega SG, Mini NT, or the Super NT), cables from HD Retrovision, controller adapters from Brook, and scalers like the the Retrotink 2X, OSSC, and Framemeister.
* Offer free expert help on how to properly set up your consoles. New TVs with 4K and HDR have made getting the best from your system an absolute nightmare. This gets even worse if you put a receiver into the mix. Helping gamers navigate this with something like a free online chat or an apple genius bar would do wonders. They could help customers and get new customers. Think of it like how America's Tire Company will fix any flat and fill tires regardless of where you bought your tires. That's how they got my loyalty even before I became a customer. I have literally NEVER bought tires from anyone else.
* No more charging for extended warranty plans. Just offer it for free instead of making it a cash grab. Make it part of the added value of buying from Gamestop. This would work similarly to the way Costco extends the warranty of certain products for members.
* Re-brand with purpose and don't be shy about it. Changing what we know sucks can NOT be gradual. It needs to be like a strike of lightning that will get people curious to give Gamestop another chance and make the gaming press take notice.
* Stop ranking stores and employees by how much crap they sell. A store that sells a lot but doesn't make a lot of used, membership, or warranty sales should not be a bad thing. Just stop tracking it. The store either makes sales or it doesn't.
* Evaluate managers and district managers via a two tiered model where they are ranked by their superiors AND anonymously by their staff. People that treat their underlings like garbage need to go. Cut the fat and get rid of any managers or DM's that can't get behind the new business model.
Whoo boy. And there's the wall of text. Apologies. But, yeah, that's what they could do to save Gamestop. Spoiler alert. They won't do it.
Petrae
Member
Here are 10 steps I would recommend:
1. Close all redundant stores, where there are 2+ locations within 10 miles of each other. The store with bigger sales stays, the others go. This reduces unnecessary overhead (employee wages, utility costs).
2. Reduce tchotchke/collectible inventory by at least 50% in store planograms. Clear space for customer traffic down the aisles.
3. Revise/change employee and store performance metrics to promote a less aggressive and more enjoyable shopping experience. Focus more on immediate sales (new and preowned) and less on preorders and loyalty cards, which will move sales transactions along quicker.
4. Immediately cease the practice of “gutting” new games. Order software cases and send along box art for display purposes. When selling a game, have the point-of-sale system note when the last copy is sold so that the box art display can be removed.
5. Open up high-speed download stations in bigger stores for customers to bring their consoles in for firmware updates, software updates, and/or downloads of digital game purchases that can be made in-store. (Fee required)
6. Maintain a point-of-sale location primarily for trade-ins, with sales possible in highest-traffic situations. Keep trade-in customers separate so that the sales line can move quicker. Provide appropriate training, including stricter inspection procedures and a unit dedicated to retro trades. Provide tools to open up and inspect retro carts with sales values over $50; all carts should be tested in-store prior to acceptance (probably with an emulation clone machine) to ensure that the game works and matches what’s on the cartridge label.
7. Begin stocking stores with retro inventory, and allow stores to sell retro items taken in trade. Increase or reduce incoming inventory and merchandising layout based on store sales trends.
8. Immediately reduce the unnecessary length of phone greetings. “Thanks for calling GameStop, my name is ______, how can I help you?” is the required greeting. Cease changing greetings every weekend. These changes make for faster response and better service on the phone.
9. Create a required weekly training plan for employees. Include current gaming news, new releases, and refreshers on store tasks like trades and point-of-sale operation. More knowledgeable employees make for a better store experience.
10. Stores should be staffed by at least two employees during all hours of operation, with one employee specifically tasked with sales/behind-the-counter duties and the other with sales floor interactions and manning the trade-in register when needed.
1. Close all redundant stores, where there are 2+ locations within 10 miles of each other. The store with bigger sales stays, the others go. This reduces unnecessary overhead (employee wages, utility costs).
2. Reduce tchotchke/collectible inventory by at least 50% in store planograms. Clear space for customer traffic down the aisles.
3. Revise/change employee and store performance metrics to promote a less aggressive and more enjoyable shopping experience. Focus more on immediate sales (new and preowned) and less on preorders and loyalty cards, which will move sales transactions along quicker.
4. Immediately cease the practice of “gutting” new games. Order software cases and send along box art for display purposes. When selling a game, have the point-of-sale system note when the last copy is sold so that the box art display can be removed.
5. Open up high-speed download stations in bigger stores for customers to bring their consoles in for firmware updates, software updates, and/or downloads of digital game purchases that can be made in-store. (Fee required)
6. Maintain a point-of-sale location primarily for trade-ins, with sales possible in highest-traffic situations. Keep trade-in customers separate so that the sales line can move quicker. Provide appropriate training, including stricter inspection procedures and a unit dedicated to retro trades. Provide tools to open up and inspect retro carts with sales values over $50; all carts should be tested in-store prior to acceptance (probably with an emulation clone machine) to ensure that the game works and matches what’s on the cartridge label.
7. Begin stocking stores with retro inventory, and allow stores to sell retro items taken in trade. Increase or reduce incoming inventory and merchandising layout based on store sales trends.
8. Immediately reduce the unnecessary length of phone greetings. “Thanks for calling GameStop, my name is ______, how can I help you?” is the required greeting. Cease changing greetings every weekend. These changes make for faster response and better service on the phone.
9. Create a required weekly training plan for employees. Include current gaming news, new releases, and refreshers on store tasks like trades and point-of-sale operation. More knowledgeable employees make for a better store experience.
10. Stores should be staffed by at least two employees during all hours of operation, with one employee specifically tasked with sales/behind-the-counter duties and the other with sales floor interactions and manning the trade-in register when needed.
LOLCats
Banned
i am a staunch Gamestop Hater. I mean i really hate those fuckers. But I will tell you right now, that company could be turned around, i bet quickly too, but their executives have no clue and are way too greedy.
It wont be turned around until its bought out by someone that takes it private and totally changes its customer issues.
It wont be turned around until its bought out by someone that takes it private and totally changes its customer issues.
Last edited:
manfestival
Member
I know everyone hates Gamestop. I don't mind the place generally but I do feel like there is a need for a brick and mortar type of store. I love the mom and pop places but corporate in this kind case is ok with me.
The problem with gamestop is that their prices see to no longer be competitive anymore
The problem with gamestop is that their prices see to no longer be competitive anymore
Afro Republican
Banned
Please all gaf members sell your stocks to lower the value so that uh, they will be destroyed and gaming is saved.
Thank you, no ulterior motive here nope.
Thank you, no ulterior motive here nope.
DunDunDunpachi
Banned
Close half of the stores, and rebuild the brand as an all-in-one gaming shop. Stock copies of the most popular retro titles. Provide more gaming kiosks or even those 1Up Arcade units. If fat-ass single mothers aren't dropping off their kids at Gamestop to be babysat for free on their way to Wal Mart, then Gamestop is doing something wrong.
Nikana
Go Go Neo Rangers!
They should start with the basics.of actually making it make sense for people to shop there.
Their programs/rewards systems don't feel like the offer any real value to the casual shopper and you could argue to the hardcore gamers either.
Why should I shop there when I can find value elsewhere?
Their programs/rewards systems don't feel like the offer any real value to the casual shopper and you could argue to the hardcore gamers either.
Why should I shop there when I can find value elsewhere?
BusierDonkey
Member
Gamestop will die because they don't sell games. They focus on high markup items like shitty Pop figures and overpriced children's backpacks. Even while the ship is sinking they're loading it up with more bad ideas.
If they would ditch the schemes and focus on their real market they could rebuild a customer base.
- No more open box "new" games. I'll bitch and complain every time until you go in the back and get me a new sealed copy.
- Lower used game prices to realistic levels. $63.99 for a used copy of Soul Calibur VI isn't going to fly when I can buy the base game and it's season pass on Humble for under $50.
- Stop hiring shitheads who dictate to customers what they should like. While you're at it, stop training them to sell me everything in the store every time I ring up. Ask me to be a rewards member, fine, then shut up. I don't want to hear about the pre-orders available today. If someone's mom is stumbling around in there and looks lost by all means help her out but a customer that walks in grabs a game and goes right to the till has likely found what they were looking for and would just like to go back to his dungeon.
- Set up deals with publishers to have publisher sponsored sales like online game stores do. Gamestop's Nintendo sale, all Nintendo games 20% off. Go ahead and make a pyramid of boxes out front or something.
- Sell physical versions of games that aren't available as physical copies like Limited Run Games or similar publishers. Offer the customer base something they can't get elsewhere.
- Look into partnering with a large distributor like Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart etc, and become a local pickup point. If I pop on Amazon to buy a game and it tells me the game is in stock down the street I'm happy to just walk over there and buy it. I prefer to give my business to local stores anyways.
- If you're going to sell other shit, keep it reasonable and offer something better than Pop shit and plastic Minion backpacks. Reach out to Good Smile, Kotobukiya, Bandai, etc, and offer their higher quality items to draw in people like me who are clearly willing to spend money on plastic shit with boobs. Again, I'll happily walk down the street to disappoint my parents and support a local store.
Gamestop can work. In my small city we have a couple locally owned game store franchises that are both successful. One has four stores, the other has two and EBGames has shrunk down to one. Both local chains have more spacious stores than EBGames, they hire people who know what they're talking about, and they do most of what I listed.
If they would ditch the schemes and focus on their real market they could rebuild a customer base.
- No more open box "new" games. I'll bitch and complain every time until you go in the back and get me a new sealed copy.
- Lower used game prices to realistic levels. $63.99 for a used copy of Soul Calibur VI isn't going to fly when I can buy the base game and it's season pass on Humble for under $50.
- Stop hiring shitheads who dictate to customers what they should like. While you're at it, stop training them to sell me everything in the store every time I ring up. Ask me to be a rewards member, fine, then shut up. I don't want to hear about the pre-orders available today. If someone's mom is stumbling around in there and looks lost by all means help her out but a customer that walks in grabs a game and goes right to the till has likely found what they were looking for and would just like to go back to his dungeon.
- Set up deals with publishers to have publisher sponsored sales like online game stores do. Gamestop's Nintendo sale, all Nintendo games 20% off. Go ahead and make a pyramid of boxes out front or something.
- Sell physical versions of games that aren't available as physical copies like Limited Run Games or similar publishers. Offer the customer base something they can't get elsewhere.
- Look into partnering with a large distributor like Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart etc, and become a local pickup point. If I pop on Amazon to buy a game and it tells me the game is in stock down the street I'm happy to just walk over there and buy it. I prefer to give my business to local stores anyways.
- If you're going to sell other shit, keep it reasonable and offer something better than Pop shit and plastic Minion backpacks. Reach out to Good Smile, Kotobukiya, Bandai, etc, and offer their higher quality items to draw in people like me who are clearly willing to spend money on plastic shit with boobs. Again, I'll happily walk down the street to disappoint my parents and support a local store.
Gamestop can work. In my small city we have a couple locally owned game store franchises that are both successful. One has four stores, the other has two and EBGames has shrunk down to one. Both local chains have more spacious stores than EBGames, they hire people who know what they're talking about, and they do most of what I listed.
*Nightwing
Member
As a former store manager for them around the time of the merger with EB games when they shifted from "gamers are our focus" to "develop all of our employees to be effective used car salesmen" right around this time, I say let them burn to the ground. They made their own bed, let them lie in it and burn all their stores to the ground. The unemployment line and daily job hunt grind is less soul crushing and more satisfying that working in that company.
EmilOmegaStrife
Neo Member
They should have a digital store app that is directly on consoles to compete with the PlayStation or Microsoft stores.
Hinedorf
Banned
As a kid growing up the employees at Electronics Boutique were salesmen first and video gamers second. As in they were professionals in the work place secondary to what the store served. Thus they new how to do their job correctly regardless of product.
When the merge happened, the professionals were replaced with children who happened to be die hard video gamers who sought out the job as something more fun than a 'regular job'. I guess at some point upper management found this more effective than hiring adults.
Bryank75
Banned
I have to go out for a while but I will respond here later, thanks for the detailed response. It's awesome.
Roni
Gold Member
What?
Those are two great reasons for it to go... Heard the customer service itself was shit, too. So, there's a third.
Elder Legend
Banned
No and they do not need to be saved. They're a horrible company and I can't wait to watch them go down in bankruptcy.
FranXico
Member
3. Rename themselves as Gamestart.
trikster40
Member
I can fill you in on that. With defective merchandise, manufacturers usually had two options: send it back to them to receive credit for the defective merchandise, or “field destroy” the defective product and the company would get credit.
District Managers were the only ones that had the authority to destroy the products to ensure they were actually being destroyed. Problem is most DMs were lazy and just let store managers do it.
Most of the “defective” stuff wasn’t actually defective, but it’s hard t resell something that’s been returned with no packaging, etc. That’s why people took home that stuff.
D
Deleted member 738976
Unconfirmed Member
I have a much better resale store that offers retro and new games with better used prices.
DigitalScrap
Member
Gamestop will be gone soon. They have just stopped paying a dividend to shareholders, and are shutting down ThinkGeek July 2nd. Well, they aren't saying it is shutting down, only that the website is shutting down and they are "moving in" to Gamestop stores. What year is it? Shutting down the ecom presence is basically saying it is shutting it down - who closes websites to go brick and mortar now? But that is how they are trying to spin it.
Stopping the dividend is a classic "we are about to shut this shit down" move, as that will mean more cash that can be split up as they all exit and deploy their parachutes. I personally expect them to be completely gone by Q1 next year. The only hope is that someone comes in and buys it and shares get converted, but their business model is so bad and outdated, that I can't see why anyone would buy them at this point. Even brand recognition isn't a good reason to acquire them, as GS has done a great job of damaging their brand. When most people hear "Gamestop" they don't get positive images in their head (quite the opposite).
I think it's just about over.
BTW, if anyone wants any ThinkGeek crap, it will all be 50% off until July 2nd.
I'm honestly tempted to take a small position just to see if someone does swoop in and the shares get converted. But I doubt that I will as the fundamentals are just TERRIBLE.
Stopping the dividend is a classic "we are about to shut this shit down" move, as that will mean more cash that can be split up as they all exit and deploy their parachutes. I personally expect them to be completely gone by Q1 next year. The only hope is that someone comes in and buys it and shares get converted, but their business model is so bad and outdated, that I can't see why anyone would buy them at this point. Even brand recognition isn't a good reason to acquire them, as GS has done a great job of damaging their brand. When most people hear "Gamestop" they don't get positive images in their head (quite the opposite).
I think it's just about over.
BTW, if anyone wants any ThinkGeek crap, it will all be 50% off until July 2nd.
I'm honestly tempted to take a small position just to see if someone does swoop in and the shares get converted. But I doubt that I will as the fundamentals are just TERRIBLE.
Last edited:
deriks
4-Time GIF/Meme God
- Focusing on gaming, not stupid merch
- Making little championships with Mario Kart and Smash or whatever
- Putting a hall of fame or something to the winners and buyers. Consumers need to get praised by the seller
- do a "today's discount"
- closing some stores, at least from now
- Making little championships with Mario Kart and Smash or whatever
- Putting a hall of fame or something to the winners and buyers. Consumers need to get praised by the seller
- do a "today's discount"
- closing some stores, at least from now
Potato Chip PRO
Member
Gamestop to Gamego............. Where's it going? They have WAY to much crap on merchandise that no one really buys. Infact I've never seen anyone buy their shirts or hats and worse.. Funko Pops! Their preowned goods are expensive.
Similar threads
- Poll