Pikachu Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-16-gamestop-plans-to-renovate-stores-pilot-new-store-concepts Quote GameStop has detailed its intentions to revamp its physical stores in an effort to combat slumping sales. The US retailer has partnered with design firm R/GA to "focus on creating unique in-store experiences" that will make shopping at GameStop a more interactive experience. While details are a little light, the firm has said it wants to introduce new ways for its customers to try games before they purchase them, as well as add other features that encourage people to visit their local branch more often. GameStop says it will be "piloting new and streamlined physical store concepts", such as esports areas that "offer competitive sessions in home-grown e-Leagues", as well as "locations that sell strictly retro gaming software and hardware." There's no word on how many of these stores are planned, but GameStop says it will be testing them "in a select market" -- almost certainly its home territory of the US. GameStop has already hinted at these plans in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, discussing the transition "from a transactional retailer into an experience-based retailer." The retailer's Eric Bright told us a partnership with esports group Complexity Gaming has helped it design a 11,000 square foot 'Performance Centre', which features a gaming arena with special hardware, merchandise areas and a video studio. GameStop has been suffering in recent times, posting a $673m loss in the previous fiscal year -- and the first quarterly report for the current one showed sales are continuing to decline. The company has also recently had a management reshuffle after its COO and CFO departed after more than 20 years. There were efforts towards the tail end of 2018 to find a buyer for the company, but GameStop gave up on this back in January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Nice try, but still not enough. GameStop needs to close LOTS of locations and integrate tabletop gaming products to have any chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slug Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 6 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said: Nice try, but still not enough. GameStop needs to close LOTS of locations and integrate tabletop gaming products to have any chance. They do have way too many locations. I have no less than five Gamestops withing 15 min of each each other and I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 GameStop doesn’t have the money for this. It won’t do anything but drain more resources and put them further in debt. Most major retailers try this when it looks like nothing else is working, and it doesn’t work. Within 3-6 months from these renovations being done we’re gonna year about massive store closings if not an outright filling for bankruptcy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxEvil AshxX Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 chicks in bikinis. Works for Hooters. Both their food and service are terrible. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Every time I see a Gamestop story now I always think of that story of the guy who used Gamestop as a bank. Looks like he will have to find a new bank soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury33 Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 1 hour ago, XxEvil AshxX said: chicks in bikinis. Works for Hooters. Both their food and service are terrible. False Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ort Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 These Titanic deck chairs would look so much better if we just set them up like this... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaxick Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Let me guess, the more interactive experience will have employees walking the floor begging you to pre-order games and join their membership program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 “Hey, let’s buy Blockbuster’s “How to beat Netflix” playbook off eBay. I’m sure we can learn a thing or two” 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggie Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Just end it already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbob42 Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Quote While details are a little light, the firm has said it wants to introduce new ways for its customers to try games before they purchase them Jesus Christ it really is suicide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 GameStop’s best bet is to get that Fortnite money and become a EGS exclusive store. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoberChef Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 11 hours ago, Slug said: They do have way too many locations. I have no less than five Gamestops withing 15 min of each each other and I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two. 20 locations within a 1 hour drive of me, totally unnecessary in this day and age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodporne Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Just the fact they dropped the word "experience" made me shudder in fear of this new store design already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Since they have started to dive into the esport angle I have a feeling someone has been lurking these forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 I agree that it doesn’t matter what they do if they don’t close some stores. There’s way too many. I think they should embrace some of the actual “nerd” culture and have people play card games there or something. They could have card and tabletop game tournaments. I don’t see any reason to go INTO their store in the first place since I don’t sell my games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 13 hours ago, johnny said: I agree that it doesn’t matter what they do if they don’t close some stores. There’s way too many. I think they should embrace some of the actual “nerd” culture and have people play card games there or something. They could have card and tabletop game tournaments. I don’t see any reason to go INTO their store in the first place since I don’t sell my games. Honestly, they probably need to partner with Games Workshop to carry GW products in some of their locations where there is no dedicated GW store or tabletop gaming store nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxEvil AshxX Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 20 hours ago, Mercury33 said: False It doesn't work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 39 minutes ago, XxEvil AshxX said: It doesn't work? Hooters has good food and service. At least the two times I've been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ort Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 They just need to figure out a way to get people to start pre-ordering Rick & Morty Funco Pops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodporne Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 2 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said: Hooters has good food and service. At least the four thousand times I've been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 I think if people weren't hounded for a magazine subscription and a pointless preorder it might make going there more appealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 On 7/16/2019 at 6:21 AM, SFLUFAN said: Nice try, but still not enough. GameStop needs to close LOTS of locations and integrate tabletop gaming products to have any chance. On 7/16/2019 at 6:29 AM, Slug said: They do have way too many locations. I have no less than five Gamestops withing 15 min of each each other and I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two. I think two of the three have since closed down but there was a while at my local mall where the EB Games had become a Planet X (owned by GameStop) and Funcoland had already been bought by GameStop, and all three were open at once. At least with different brand names it sort of made sense, I remember one of the employees telling me people would walk out of one location indignant about a price or whatever saying they'd go to one of the other two locations, unaware that they were all owned by GameStop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkableriots Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 26 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said: I think if people weren't hounded for a magazine subscription and a pointless preorder it might make going there more appealing. Just about every retail company trains employees to upsell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 2 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said: Just about every retail company trains employees to upsell. And retail is dying. I'd rather jump on a website and buy something where I won't be hassled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 14 hours ago, johnny said: I agree that it doesn’t matter what they do if they don’t close some stores. There’s way too many. I think they should embrace some of the actual “nerd” culture and have people play card games there or something. They could have card and tabletop game tournaments. I don’t see any reason to go INTO their store in the first place since I don’t sell my games. Around here there are already a couple places that cater specifically to that market, and have for a long time. It's kind of hard to imagine that the need for that kind of thing is significantly higher than the supply (around me at last), or that Gamestop could successfully grab much of that market. There's also the issue of tabletop games and local tournaments taking up a lot of physical space. The local game shops around me that do host events are much larger than any Gamestop I've ever been in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkableriots Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 27 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said: And retail is dying. I'd rather jump on a website and buy something where I won't be hassled. I bet most of those websites are pushing a sale or upselling items on the main page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazatron Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Nobody gives a shit about trying out video games in store. Use your branded name and focus on things people actually want a location for, like meetups for table top games and card tournaments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 42 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said: I bet most of those websites are pushing a sale or upselling items on the main page. Yeah. But I can scroll passed it and not listen to some awkward sales pitch from a squeaky voiced teenager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 47 minutes ago, Amazatron said: Nobody gives a shit about trying out video games in store. Use your branded name and focus on things people actually want a location for, like meetups for table top games and card tournaments. Yeah, exactly - actually become a "Gamestop", a place where people "stop" in to play "games". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 14 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said: Yeah. But I can scroll passed it and not listen to some awkward sales pitch from a squeaky voiced teenager. Do you seriously just not know the difference between passed and past? smfh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazatron Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 10 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said: Yeah, exactly - actually become a "Gamestop", a place where people "stop" in to play "games". It’s amazing how dense these executives, strategists, board of directors, and consultants are. Just kidding, I’m not surprised. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 17 minutes ago, Jason said: Do you seriously just not know the difference between passed and past? smfh I'll pass on a response. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 2 hours ago, Amazatron said: Nobody gives a shit about trying out video games in store. Use your branded name and focus on things people actually want a location for, like meetups for table top games and card tournaments. Well instead of just having the latest Mario game on demo or whatever they always have, what if you could go in, and ask for any game they carry, and they pop it in for you and let you play it for 20 minutes or whatever. That's probably not enough to save the company, but it's something you should be able to do when you go in. Try some games out and you'll probably walk out with a couple new games. Or new to you at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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