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Isn't it obvious? Maybe it didn't used to be obvious how to tackle these issues in the past. But I think businesses have a fairly well understood game plan now

Isn't it obvious? Maybe it didn't used to be obvious how to tackle these issues in the past. But I think businesses have a fairly well understood game plan now (that Gamestop isn't following). The threat to this business is online retail, so the strategy is to pivot to things that you can't do online. So you focus on creating spaces for people to meet other enthusiasts, you bring people to the store with events, and you turn your sales people into trusted advisors. Take a look at Waterstones as a good example - if you walk into Waterstones every single employee will be well read, they'll be informed about a large number of the books that are currently popular, and what other books the author writes etc. There'll be book signings, Q&As with local authors, book clubs etc. etc. If I go to my local Waterstones website and search for my local branch I don't just get the location, I get a list of events that are happening at the branch - There's a 9-12 book club on Saturday, there's a Costume & story telling event on Monday (for kids), and an adult book club in the evening on Friday, and an evening with a famous author in collaboration with the local university celebrating International Womens day. Now take a look at Gamestop - rather than bringing people in to the store, they're driving people away with aggressive upsell tactics. I mean, it's honestly crazy - gamers are an incredibly vibrant community that would love somewhere they could go in real life to meet other fans of the games they love. It's an open goal. Yet gamestop is so committed to a strategy of squeezing the people that do come in to the store that they can't create that environment.

Macha 7y ago
If you pivot from video games to pen and paper or board games, this is essentially the FLGS model ("Friendly local game store"). These stores are constantly going belly up and the ones that don't are essentially kept on life support by magic the gathering or other card game sales. My city of 1 million has 2, compared to 10 or so GameStop's. We don't have a Waterstones as far as I know, but we have a locally owned book store with a similar model. But again, just 1 such book store. The other 2 big book stores are the typical chains selling local interest, biographies and cards, rather. It doesn't seem like the model that'd fit a big company with shareholders and would require serious downsizing to be sustainable.
- t-writescode 7y ago
  In my area, the best board game shops are also restaurants that people go to for dinner and to play a board game. There are 4 I can think off hand, two of which are a chain. They seem to be doing well and some take up quite a bit of real estate. As far as I can tell they’re doing plenty well.
Timpy 7y ago
The group of people who apply at GameStop is self selecting in a way that could create "trusted advisors", but the corporation undermines this by pressuring them to upsell useless garbage.
- rchaud 7y ago
  Every Gamestop I've been to (Toronto area) is tiny, and always crowded with window shoppers, as they're located in a mall. So often the in-store clientele will be kids, but they'll have their parents with them. The staff may be well-informed but they're usually busy, so you can't walk up and talk games casually, like you might be able to do at a record store.

Macha 7y ago

If you pivot from video games to pen and paper or board games, this is essentially the FLGS model ("Friendly local game store"). These stores are constantly going belly up and the ones that don't are essentially kept on life support by magic the gathering or other card game sales. My city of 1 million has 2, compared to 10 or so GameStop's. We don't have a Waterstones as far as I know, but we have a locally owned book store with a similar model. But again, just 1 such book store. The other 2 big book stores are the typical chains selling local interest, biographies and cards, rather. It doesn't seem like the model that'd fit a big company with shareholders and would require serious downsizing to be sustainable.

t-writescode 7y ago
In my area, the best board game shops are also restaurants that people go to for dinner and to play a board game. There are 4 I can think off hand, two of which are a chain. They seem to be doing well and some take up quite a bit of real estate. As far as I can tell they’re doing plenty well.

Timpy 7y ago

The group of people who apply at GameStop is self selecting in a way that could create "trusted advisors", but the corporation undermines this by pressuring them to upsell useless garbage.

rchaud 7y ago
Every Gamestop I've been to (Toronto area) is tiny, and always crowded with window shoppers, as they're located in a mall. So often the in-store clientele will be kids, but they'll have their parents with them. The staff may be well-informed but they're usually busy, so you can't walk up and talk games casually, like you might be able to do at a record store.