My local GameStop is closing down

Calhoun

SMC92Ian wrote: »

Why do people keep saying CEX is better, it is in my hole, you get more money off them trading in but I've never bought a game off them. Way over priced.

Also Argos and Smyths are cheap so if Gamestop did ever go under we've plenty of selection still. GameStop never saw Argos or Smyths as competition as they're not really for gamers... idiots.

I have had some of the best deals of late from Smyths, my console of choice if i can get it is the switch and whomever smyths has running their place gets a real good variety.

I think the big thing with gamestop is it tried to be everywhere at once and it diluted the quality.

I remember when the first one opened in my town, it was so exciting and the quality and selection of games was huge. Some of the stores these days don't have as good a selection in times gone bye which is a shame.

I hope by closing down the under performing once they can refocus a little. Naas for example has its store in one of the worst places, newbridge as well but its not so bad. The opening hours are really bad compared to other places, they mostly close at 6 on a friday for example when allot of shopping centers open to around 8-9.

SMC92Ian

Calhoun wrote: »

I have had some of the best deals of late from Smyths, my console of choice if i can get it is the switch and whomever smyths has running their place gets a real good variety.

I think the big thing with gamestop is it tried to be everywhere at once and it diluted the quality.

I remember when the first one opened in my town, it was so exciting and the quality and selection of games was huge. Some of the stores these days don't have as good a selection in times gone bye which is a shame.

I hope by closing down the under performing once they can refocus a little. Naas for example has its store in one of the worst places, newbridge as well but its not so bad. The opening hours are really bad compared to other places, they mostly close at 6 on a friday for example when allot of shopping centers open to around 8-9.

The Naas store was in the heart of the town, if they couldn't get business there then something was really wrong. The manager for a good while was a useless twat. Think he's in Newbridge now, lucky them. I dunno what GameStop can do other than reducing their prices but that won't happen. Newbridge is only doing well because they don't have an Argos and Smyths 2 minutes away like Naas.

Calhoun

SMC92Ian wrote: »

The Naas store was in the heart of the town, if they couldn't get business there then something was really wrong. The manager for a good while was a useless twat. Think he's in Newbridge now, lucky them. I dunno what GameStop can do other than reducing their prices but that won't happen. Newbridge is only doing well because they don't have an Argos and Smyths 2 minutes away like Naas.

I always felt it was in a bad position due to the busy road and Naas town being a nightmare to get in and out of with parking ect. The store itself is tiny in comparison to others and does not allow for moving a buggy around it.

Always thought had it moved to a bigger place in one of the business parks it could have done allot more. I don't know the manager in newbridge currently, the staff seem ok.

I firmly believe if they upped their game on the online webstore and ran the stores from the perspective of selling games at a decent price without ripping people off they will be on to a winner. In 2019 reducing yourstore foot print is not a bad thing as long as you can ensure the centers you do have become a super customer experience.

Fuko200

Mr.Fantastic wrote: »

Will there be any list released of closing down stores?

Have cyberpunk pre-ordered in Patrick street in cork. Bit worried now, it seems busy enough.

Have to say similair to other people the trade in deals can be great but the pricing of the games even used are extortionate, when you get them online/smyths/argos way cheaper.

On a different note the three main websites I use thegamecollection, base and simplygames are all Uk based. Gonna be limited post brexit.

Im wondering too, I have the ps4 Collectors edition of Cyberpunk on preorder for in store but wondering whatll happen if my local store closes but they also tend to be decently busy. Found em handy since the games i like tend to be niche so smyths or argos dont get em and I prefer buying in person then online.

SMC92Ian

Calhoun wrote: »

I always felt it was in a bad position due to the busy road and Naas town being a nightmare to get in and out of with parking ect. The store itself is tiny in comparison to others and does not allow for moving a buggy around it.

Always thought had it moved to a bigger place in one of the business parks it could have done allot more. I don't know the manager in newbridge currently, the staff seem ok.

I firmly believe if they upped their game on the online webstore and ran the stores from the perspective of selling games at a decent price without ripping people off they will be on to a winner. In 2019 reducing yourstore foot print is not a bad thing as long as you can ensure the centers you do have become a super customer experience.

I don't have kids so never thought of what it'd be like with a buggy. The shop wasn't that small I've been in smaller. For anyone worried there's might close my store had some warming signs.

They wouldn't fix the tills.
They didn't get in new games.
They rarely got new stock.
The staff was a revolving door of different people every day.
The staff didn't give a **** what they said.
They told me it was closing before it was official.

Calhoun

SMC92Ian wrote: »

I don't have kids so never thought of what it'd be like with a buggy. The shop wasn't that small I've been in smaller. For anyone worried there's might close my store had some warming signs.

They wouldn't fix the tills.
They didn't get in new games.
They rarely got new stock.
The staff was a revolving door of different people every day.
The staff didn't give a **** what they said.
They told me it was closing before it was official.

Could have been the old layout but when I would go in with one of the girls in the buggy it was a nightmare especially if more than 1-2 customers.

That really wasn't the main reason I didn't go there the parking situation in Naas town is the primary reason. It was always handier where I was coming from to go to Newbridge.

I did use Naas a couple of times a few years back as the newbridge manager was a tosser who was really unscrupulous when it came to selling.

SMC92Ian

Calhoun wrote: »

Could have been the old layout but when I would go in with one of the girls in the buggy it was a nightmare especially if more than 1-2 customers.

That really wasn't the main reason I didn't go there the parking situation in Naas town is the primary reason. It was always handier where I was coming from to go to Newbridge.

I did use Naas a couple of times a few years back as the newbridge manager was a tosser who was really unscrupulous when it came to selling.

It must be something with Naas and Newbridge, they always do have a big feckin' twat as a manager haha.

McLoughlin

Darkglasses wrote: »

They recently gutted and remodeled the one in Wexford Town, and it now sells more knick-knacks like tshirts and toys than anything else. Fairly few games in stock really. A modest selection of peripherals, only things that don't take up much space.

Kinda ****ty really, not much reason to go there compared to CEX for anything tech/gaming related.

Wexford have had that "Staff Wanted" poster up for so long people are starting to think its some kinda new game.

Vicxas

McLoughlin wrote: »

Wexford have had that "Staff Wanted" poster up for so long people are starting to think its some kinda new game.

Same with the Navan store, I remember when i worked there over 10 years ago people were clambering for a job in there.

chrislad

I can't wait to see how less competitive CEX and Argos need to be now, if GameStop close. Also, people saying that online is cheaper - it's not - the price is just paid by someone else - https://nypost.com/2019/07/13/inside-the-hellish-workday-of-an-amazon-warehouse-employee/

I'm not being holier than thou - I use Amazon, GameStop, Argos, and CEX, based on what suits me, but lets not be fooled into thinking Amazon are cheaper because they want to be. If Amazon could charge more, and keep the business, they would, and will.

FutureGuy

95% of my gaming purchases in the last 3-4 years have been...

1) Buy at Argos because they destroy Gamestop for new prices.
2) Trade-in for cash at CEX because they destroy Gamestop for cash trade-in prices.

Now and again, they'll have a decent offer where I'll trade in s relatively new game for 50 off a new one, but that's about it.

Homelander

chrislad wrote: »

I can't wait to see how less competitive CEX and Argos need to be now, if GameStop close. Also, people saying that online is cheaper - it's not - the price is just paid by someone else - https://nypost.com/2019/07/13/inside-the-hellish-workday-of-an-amazon-warehouse-employee/

I'm not being holier than thou - I use Amazon, GameStop, Argos, and CEX, based on what suits me, but lets not be fooled into thinking Amazon are cheaper because they want to be. If Amazon could charge more, and keep the business, they would, and will.

It's not just Amazon though. Literally every outlet, either retail or online, is cheaper than Gamestop. Bricks and Mortar wise, Argos, CEX, Smyths Toys as examples of places where games are €10-15 cheaper on new releases.

Gamestop has always been overpriced. It's the reason I haven't bought a game in there in years. Games are cheaper in other retail stores, and then the likes of CEX offer much better trade-in-credit.

Bit rich to say "Amazon could charge more" when Gamestop have been attempting to bend their customers over the table for the last decade. If their prices weren't so outrageous, I'd happily have bought there. But why would I when there's a €20 difference between it and several physical stores down the road in my case. I don't even personally buy games off Amazon, almost always Argos and Smyths.

SMC92Ian

Homelander wrote: »

It's not just Amazon though. Literally every outlet, either retail or online, is cheaper than Gamestop. Bricks and Mortar wise, Argos, CEX, Smyths Toys as examples of places where games are €10-15 cheaper on new releases.

Gamestop has always been overpriced. It's the reason I haven't bought a game in there in years. Games are cheaper in other retail stores, and then the likes of CEX offer much better trade-in-credit.

Bit rich to say "Amazon could charge more" when Gamestop have been attempting to bend their customers over the table for the last decade. If their prices weren't so outrageous, I'd happily have bought there. But why would I when there's a €20 difference between it and several physical stores down the road in my case. I don't even personally buy games off Amazon, almost always Argos and Smyths.

The last game I bought that wasn't part of a deal, like proper full price purchase from GameStop was WWE 2008 and even then it was more expensive but I was a fool back then. Now I only go to GS for a console trade deal or a game for a tenner deal.

Calhoun

chrislad wrote: »

I can't wait to see how less competitive CEX and Argos need to be now, if GameStop close. Also, people saying that online is cheaper - it's not - the price is just paid by someone else - https://nypost.com/2019/07/13/inside-the-hellish-workday-of-an-amazon-warehouse-employee/

I'm not being holier than thou - I use Amazon, GameStop, Argos, and CEX, based on what suits me, but lets not be fooled into thinking Amazon are cheaper because they want to be. If Amazon could charge more, and keep the business, they would, and will.

It would be a very big mistake in the digital age to really inflate prices, if Argos, CEX or Smyths do it they will have learnt nothing from Gamestop.

Also if we are going to take the high ground on our consumerism defending gamestop is not the hill to die on. They themselves have fairly questionable practices when it comes to staff and possibly allot more we dont see. I do agree though competition is required for good consumer practices.

I don't think this is the end of the line for gamestop, this should be viewed as a good thing. If they can learn lesson's from this adapt and restructure the business they could really turn things around.

Grumpypants

If they priced stuff fairly I'd be more inclined to pop in. I used to love browsing Game and picking up random B rated games for cheap. I'd spend €5-€20 on an old second-hand game and discovered some gems.

But I'm not going to take a punt on a game that is still pretty much full price a year later when I can buy it new online for half that amount.

Also, don't forget they were pretty aggressive is attacking the margin for publishers and devs with trade-ins, they were pretty happy to rip off gamers with inflated prices, are notorious for refusing to replace codes that were defective, won't honor their warranty obligations. And are happy to up-sell rubbish to mums like disk insurance.

Maybe them leaving the market will open up the opportunity for a boutique game store. Remember GamesNosh I purchase loads of games from them. Fair price, always had the games delivered for launch day.

SMC92Ian

Something else people need to understand is neither Smyths or Argos compete with GameStop, they're irrelevant. Smyths and Argos only compete with each other so the prices won't be shooting up with GameStop gone. I know this having worked in those stores. The management team only focus on what deals and prices Argos are running.

Calhoun

Grumpypants wrote: »

If they priced stuff fairly I'd be more inclined to pop in. I used to love browsing Game and picking up random B rated games for cheap. I'd spend €5-€20 on an old second-hand game and discovered some gems.

But I'm not going to take a punt on a game that is still pretty much full price a year later when I can buy it new online for half that amount.

Also, don't forget they were pretty aggressive is attacking the margin for publishers and devs with trade-ins, they were pretty happy to rip off gamers with inflated prices, are notorious for refusing to replace codes that were defective, won't honor their warranty obligations. And are happy to up-sell rubbish to mums like disk insurance.

Maybe them leaving the market will open up the opportunity for a boutique game store. Remember GamesNosh I purchase loads of games from them. Fair price, always had the games delivered for launch day.

I have seen a manager in one of my local's (not Naas) oversell something to a young lady with learning difficulties. Its why i kept away from that store for a long time.

Potential-Monke

I've used GameStop since they came to Ireland and removed GAME from the streets. Yeah, they're more expensive, but in my experience the staff have always been lovely and very helpful. Granted, most of them are gamers themselves so it's easy to talk to them, but in general the staff have always been nice (Limerick and Waterford stores). I'd even spend the extra few quid in GameStop because of the loyalty card which has stood properly to me over the time. They do need to up their game though, and make it more customer focused, increase the rewards for the card and that will tempt more people over, if done properly.

Also, maybe I'm the only one here, but I just do not like going into CEX. Yes, they're cheaper, but at the expense of the looks of the stores. I feel like a shower every time I come out of one, most don't have actual flooring or a proper ceiling, the games are usually all over the place and not correctly arranged, anything with a screen on display is manky dirty as they don't even wipe them to make them more appealing. And the staff are usually ignorant of your request (ie: not gamers) or just ignorant in general, and they all portray a feeling of only being there for the wage, ie: no real customer service skills. Not all of them, but most in my experience.

Either way, this is not good news. Argos, Smyths, CEX and anyone else who sells games, they don't feel like a game store, so maybe that's what I'll miss the most. Nowhere else feels like a game store, and yeah, while GameStop are more focused on the merch now, at least it's mainly gaming related merch, again something you can't really get anywhere else but online.

Danonino.

This forum won’t allow anonymous posting so I can’t say much really. I’ve actually worked in Smyths Softwarezone, Gamestop, Xtravision and Cex.




In CeX, the displays being manky, bad attitudes from staff, poor merchandising etc etc. That shouldn’t be the norm outside of crazy busy periods or exceptions (try keep a PlayStation section tidy in any store at 4pm in December ha ha)

If it’s bad enough that you would rather walk by the store then 100% complain through the website contact us section because I garantee if you arrived in any of the stores on a day upper management were to visit it would be a different world. It won’t get anyone in trouble, usually the opposite, it’s usually a sign the store is understaffed/budgeted and just need more hands on deck. In my experience some try to ‘cover up’ the fact they can’t keep up merch standards and make targets so let the place get thrashed then smile and polish for the days it matters.

Sometimes though yeah... it’s just someone or someones being lazy/not giving a sh*t.


Edit: I don’t currently work at any of the above

but will say that CeX was easily the busiest out of them all, the test/checks and sheer volume of trade ins due to them 99.9% dealing in second hand goods could lead to a very heavy workload on staff literally out of nowhere. It can lead to entire days where you are understaffed and struggling to catch back up to standard. Barry decides to pop in a 5pm with 4 giant boxes of 200+ DVDs and 5 phones to trade is very different than knowing you need an extra staff member because John Wick 2 is being delivered on Thursday so needs to be stickered on ready for release Friday.

ShaneU

ShaneU wrote: »

The €75 charge only happened fairly recently when things got bad for them (the max was €70 before)

They obviously decided to screw over the people not bothered to shop around and turn everyone else away

I have a lot of sympathy for the staff but none whatsoever for the higher management who treat their staff like dirt, especially some of the stories I've heard from U.S. workers.

They've been 75 for at least some new games for several years at least.

2Mad2BeMad

Danonino. wrote: »

but will say that CeX was easily the busiest out of them all, the test/checks and sheer volume of trade ins due to them 99.9% dealing in second hand goods could lead to a very heavy workload on staff literally out of nowhere. It can lead to entire days where you are understaffed and struggling to catch back up to standard. Barry decides to pop in a 5pm with 4 giant boxes of 200+ DVDs and 5 phones to trade is very different than knowing you need an extra staff member because John Wick 2 is being delivered on Thursday so needs to be stickered on ready for release Friday.

I was in the tallaght store recently (cex) which has no registors anymore so it's kinda messed up about where exactly do you queue. But anyway 2 staff members were on. 1 guy got stuck with a lad with at least over 400 dvds. It was insane. The 2nd lad went off for his break I know this because me and a queue of people where lined up waiting for him.
So everyone of us had to wait until the 400dvds where taken out checked and put in an envelope thing.
I just walked out. I was buying a joypad few others looked like they were buying and 1 or 2 selling higher end gear compared to dvds.

I pity the lad doing the dvds must be like 2 hours work there at least so some lad could get 30quid.
Clearly there business model works somehow. I've no idea how but if there taking so much ****e in they must be selling it on somewhere

Rob2D

2Mad2BeMad wrote: »

Clearly there business model works somehow. I've no idea how but if there taking so much ****e in they must be selling it on somewhere

I reckon it's all just a front for money laundering :pac:

Grumpypants

2Mad2BeMad wrote: »

I was in the tallaght store recently (cex) which has no registors anymore so it's kinda messed up about where exactly do you queue. But anyway 2 staff members were on. 1 guy got stuck with a lad with at least over 400 dvds. It was insane. The 2nd lad went off for his break I know this because me and a queue of people where lined up waiting for him.
So everyone of us had to wait until the 400dvds where taken out checked and put in an envelope thing.
I just walked out. I was buying a joypad few others looked like they were buying and 1 or 2 selling higher end gear compared to dvds.

I pity the lad doing the dvds must be like 2 hours work there at least so some lad could get 30quid.
Clearly there business model works somehow. I've no idea how but if there taking so much ****e in they must be selling it on somewhere

If the guy in the shop had some cop on he would have told him it will take a few hours to check them and to come back in a while when they were done, then served the others.

Homelander

I will say the staff (or maybe more management) in CEX are generally pretty terrible. Serving customers seems to be fairly low on the priority in my local branch anyway. I suppose it's a bit like the Lidl/Aldi model. Let's wait until the queues are borderline out of control before we stick another person on tills.

Penn

Homelander wrote: »

I will say the staff (or maybe more management) in CEX are generally pretty terrible. Serving customers seems to be fairly low on the priority in my local branch anyway. I suppose it's a bit like the Lidl/Aldi model. Let's wait until the queues are borderline out of control before we stick another person on tills.

The main thing I hate about CEX (don't know if it happens in all of them but at least two I've been in) is how if a staff member is out on the floor then wants to go behind the counter, another member of staff has to go over and open the thing for them. Like the latch is near the bottom of the door and they have to step on it to open it or something.

I mean f*ck sake just leave the thing open...

DaveyDave

The reason CeX merchandise is all over the place is because the gimps who shop there move stuff around all the time. It's no different than Penny's stuff being all over the place.

Anytime the shop is quiet someone will be on the floor organising the shelves. It's also done when the store is closed. Smyth's have almost no media on display so this isn't an issue with them also as GameStop focus on new games they'll have multiple shelves with just 1 game as opposed to a full A-Z library of games.

GameStop aren't anywhere near as busy as CeX either so they often have time to kill to do merchandising.

It's in their interest to keep shelves organised when new prices come in every Monday and they have to relabel hundreds of boxes with new price stickers.

Penn wrote: »

The main thing I hate about CEX (don't know if it happens in all of them but at least two I've been in) is how if a staff member is out on the floor then wants to go behind the counter, another member of staff has to go over and open the thing for them. Like the latch is near the bottom of the door and they have to step on it to open it or something.

I mean f*ck sake just leave the thing open...

It's security and loss prevention. They have all their stock on shelves behind the till and access to all the hardware. That's why there's a similar door beside any shelves so people can't reach around and take it. There's a reason why someone has to open the door for them.

Penn

DaveyDave wrote: »

It's called security and loss prevention. They have all their stock on shelves behind the till and access to all the hardware. That's why there's a similar door beside any shelves so people can't reach around and take it. There's a reason why someone has to open the door for them.

Yet it's not something I've seen installed in almost any other store, like Smyths, Gamestop, was never in Xtravision or HMV stores... Have a barrier, sure. But for a staff member to have to rely on another staff member to open the barrier, thereby distracting that member who may be dealing with a customer, and where the counters are pretty short anyway meaning it's not like someone is going to sneak behind the counter unnoticed, is just a ridiculously poor design. It's irritated me any time I was being dealt with by someone behind the till (usually trading in a few games or dvds and waiting while they were being checked) and they had to keep going over and opening the barrier for someone else.

Calhoun

Homelander wrote: »

I will say the staff (or maybe more management) in CEX are generally pretty terrible. Serving customers seems to be fairly low on the priority in my local branch anyway. I suppose it's a bit like the Lidl/Aldi model. Let's wait until the queues are borderline out of control before we stick another person on tills.

They are but you get what you pay for and generally you aren't paying for niceties. I personally haven't had had to deal with them too much.

Compare them to gamestop though where your seen as a turkey fit for plucking even after dropping allot of money on a game.

Its a case of picking your poison.

I use the CEX website allot, it doesn't look the greatest but its inventory management is pretty good and you will always know if they have a game in stock. Their postal service is very fast also but if you want to check for a specific title ahead of going into the shop its always good for that.

chrislad

Calhoun wrote: »

It would be a very big mistake in the digital age to really inflate prices, if Argos, CEX or Smyths do it they will have learnt nothing from Gamestop.

Also if we are going to take the high ground on our consumerism defending gamestop is not the hill to die on. They themselves have fairly questionable practices when it comes to staff and possibly allot more we dont see. I do agree though competition is required for good consumer practices.

I don't think this is the end of the line for gamestop, this should be viewed as a good thing. If they can learn lesson's from this adapt and restructure the business they could really turn things around.

Oh, I'm not defending them in the slightest. I'm just pointing out that the others are not the beacons of virtue that some people make them out to be. At the end of the day, they're all businesses, and their job is to make the most money from a combination of charging as much as possible, paying as low as possible, and cooking the books as legally as possible!

gibgodsman

They will all be closed by 2021, I have no doubt about it, terrible business plan, 0 willingness to change with the times, you are better trading your games in literally anywhere else. And for the few that still actually buy physical games, Argos has every new release at least €15 cheaper day 1