Apparently Gamestop has decided that the video game business is getting too risky and has decided to shift more of it's focus towards selling mobile devices like tablets phones, and Apple devices.
As quoted in the article here: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-04-23-gamestop-3-0-pushing-company-beyond-games
At the same time GameStop is pushing into these new fields, the company plans to scale back its gaming operations slightly. In the current fiscal year, the company expects to shutter somewhere between 120 and 130 of its 6,457 gaming retail locations worldwide.
I guess they're feeling threatened by the likes of Best Buy and other similar stores? This possibly also stems from the efforts recent game developers have made to kill off the used product market- I'm guessing they want to cover more bases, just in case.
In the current fiscal year, GameStop plans to open between 200 and 250 Spring Mobile stores, more than doubling the 164 locations it had last year. Simply Mac will see another 20-25 stores added in markets underserved by Apple's own retail chain, bolstering its 23 existing stores. Meanwhile, GameStop is expecting to add another 100 to 150 Cricket locations to the 31 it was running at the end of its last fiscal year, potentially quintupling its footprint in the pre-paid wireless market. Between all its stores, Raines said GameStop is already the third-largest and fastest-growing AT&T retailer in the US.
Honestly, I only care about the gaming devices and games, and mostly used ones at that. I can't imagine I'd ever have a reason or want to go into Gamestop branded mobile store, much less Apple (which I despise). Tablets and whatnot aren't exactly something I shop for frequently... It's more like a section of Best Buy I walk through because I'm there to look at games already. I'm unimpressed I guess- it seems like an iffy market to get into, especially if you're planning on opening stores that cater only to mobile devices. How frequently do people really go into stores like that to make a quick purchase?
The end of the article itself even has an interesting tidbit about the slideshow they presented when they made this announcement, about how the companies they looked too when deciding to expand into other markets eventually left their original market. Are they thinking of eventually moving out of the video game business altogether??
What do you guys think of this move? Seem like a wise plan? Think they're going to move to be more like Best Buy and other 'everything electronics' stores? Do you already hate Gamestop for some reason?
As quoted in the article here: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-04-23-gamestop-3-0-pushing-company-beyond-games
At the same time GameStop is pushing into these new fields, the company plans to scale back its gaming operations slightly. In the current fiscal year, the company expects to shutter somewhere between 120 and 130 of its 6,457 gaming retail locations worldwide.
I guess they're feeling threatened by the likes of Best Buy and other similar stores? This possibly also stems from the efforts recent game developers have made to kill off the used product market- I'm guessing they want to cover more bases, just in case.
In the current fiscal year, GameStop plans to open between 200 and 250 Spring Mobile stores, more than doubling the 164 locations it had last year. Simply Mac will see another 20-25 stores added in markets underserved by Apple's own retail chain, bolstering its 23 existing stores. Meanwhile, GameStop is expecting to add another 100 to 150 Cricket locations to the 31 it was running at the end of its last fiscal year, potentially quintupling its footprint in the pre-paid wireless market. Between all its stores, Raines said GameStop is already the third-largest and fastest-growing AT&T retailer in the US.
Honestly, I only care about the gaming devices and games, and mostly used ones at that. I can't imagine I'd ever have a reason or want to go into Gamestop branded mobile store, much less Apple (which I despise). Tablets and whatnot aren't exactly something I shop for frequently... It's more like a section of Best Buy I walk through because I'm there to look at games already. I'm unimpressed I guess- it seems like an iffy market to get into, especially if you're planning on opening stores that cater only to mobile devices. How frequently do people really go into stores like that to make a quick purchase?
The end of the article itself even has an interesting tidbit about the slideshow they presented when they made this announcement, about how the companies they looked too when deciding to expand into other markets eventually left their original market. Are they thinking of eventually moving out of the video game business altogether??
What do you guys think of this move? Seem like a wise plan? Think they're going to move to be more like Best Buy and other 'everything electronics' stores? Do you already hate Gamestop for some reason?
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Well I guess they're considered normal deals, but still. I feel like it'll be more of a failure. The phone/tablet business isn't as big as the gaming one. I mean sure people buy them, who has ever said, "I'm going to buy a new phone and/or tablet. Let's go to anywhere that's not a specified store like Verizon, Apple Store, Best Buy, etc." It's too risky and they'll go out of business for sure.
