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DS doomed? Retail workers chime in.

A

AniHawk

Member
Well Gamestop is reorganizing again, at least in SoCal, and I'm assuming in other parts of the country.

The new model of the store has PSP movies/games/gear taking up 3 sections of a wall (out of about... oh let's say 12). 8 of the remaining sections are devoted to the PS2, and the final one is for X360. The 360 section moves into the old Xbox section and the Xbox section pushes the GC out of the picture all the way to where the handhelds are. GBA games go where PSX games and DVDs usually go, and DS titles as well: on the gondolas

I find it interesting that the system's been moved off the main wall so fast, meaning no Coming Soon boxes or Preorder Now signs either. Any other retail monkeys from other chains been doing similar reorganizing?

We're supposed to stop selling TV Games and action figures soon too.
 
Is UMD game and UMD movie shelf space seperated?

In the UK our stores tend to put the new stuff at the front (near-entrance) shelving units and in the windows. Towards the back you have older more established hardware/software. The PS2 shelf space in the UK is immense in every store. Xbox is about double that of Gamecube, and DS has by and large overtaken and minimalised GBA space.

Add in the retro, pre-owned and DVD-movie sections some stores have and you've got a floor planner's nightmare.

UMD movies and games are seperate in our stores, thats why I asked. The games aren't really taking up any more space than DS games.
 
There's a separate section for PSP games, movies and accessories. We had to change the shelves (a big ol' one that can store 32 PSP games or so) to about 7 separate ones so it looked like there were more PSP games than there were.

We're also getting a PSP kiosk thing in.
 
I love these threads when one store re-organizes.

Gamestop in Nashua, NH has gamecube right up front along with ps2, xbox MUST be doomed.
 
wobedraggled said:
I love these threads when one store re-organizes.

Gamestop in Nashua, NH has gamecube right up front along with ps2, xbox MUST be doomed.
Click to expand...

Weeeeeeeellll it wasn't our own decision, it was pretty literally by the book.
 
AniHawk said:
Weeeeeeeellll it wasn't our own decision, it was pretty literally by the book.
Click to expand...

Store placement means squat.

Not gamestops fault Sony is pumping out UMD movies at such a rate you have no place to put them.
 
radioheadrule83 said:
Is ... UMD movie shelf space necessary?
Click to expand...

C'mon, why should a game store give precious shelf space to completely useless and overpriced MOVIES when all new game releases coming to a year-old, financially viable system gets no wall space whatsoever?

I haven't heard anything this stupid since Blockbuster decided not to carry Dreamcast rentals as soon as the PS2 came out. Fuckin' Sonyopoly.

Still, this news is probably nothing. I doubt it's being implemented nationally, as Gamestop now operates a bunch of differently sized and shaped stores and is in the middle of merging two already complicated networks of district and regional headquarters. When I worked at EB, everything but Vendor of the Month wall layout was pretty well separate between districts.
 
wobedraggled said:
Store placement means squat.

Not gamestops fault Sony is pumping out UMD movies at such a rate you have no place to put them.
Click to expand...

We had a place to put them. Everything was actually pretty organized the way it was. Even when including the 360 section (which was the main reason for the shuffling of things), some stuff could've been condensed down. Instead, we ended up extending the PS2 used section though there was no reason to.
 
wobedraggled said:
I love these threads when one store re-organizes.

Gamestop in Nashua, NH has gamecube right up front along with ps2, xbox MUST be doomed.
Click to expand...

Gamestop doesn't change "one store" when they change shelving. All the ones around here started doing exactly what he's talking about yesterday. I don't think it means anything is "doomed", but Nintendo space was definitely being squeezed down.
 
Nintendo space is always in the back. I remember reading somewhere that unlike Sony and MS, Nintendo doesn't really spend much on shelf space unless one of their own big titles is coming out (like Zelda).
 
I am very interested in this movie pumping that sony is doing. They are pumping out movies at a crazy rate. Pretty soon all these movies are going to eat up a lot of retail space. They must be selling alot but I don't really want my local gamestore to turn into UMD movie center.
 
Juice said:
C'mon, why should a game store give precious shelf space to completely useless and overpriced MOVIES when all new game releases coming to a year-old, financially viable system gets no wall space whatsoever?
Click to expand...

UMDs sell, that's the only reason you need
 
I notice retailers always seem to put the GBA in the shittiest parts possible but it still sells well. I think the majority of the GBA and probably DS sales comes from non-game specific retailers, like Target or Walmart. It has to be because I always see such a poor selection of GBA games at places like EB.
 
The Experiment said:
I notice retailers always seem to put the GBA in the shittiest parts possible but it still sells well. I think the majority of the GBA and probably DS sales comes from non-game specific retailers, like Target or Walmart. It has to be because I always see such a poor selection of GBA games at places like EB.
Click to expand...
The GBA section is the very first section in the EB I go to...PS2 is right behind it and takes up the remainder of the wall. GC and XB are in the back with the PC games and PSP and DS are beside the counter.

what sucks is that now UMD vids are taking up the magazie rack and the rags were moved to a "display" (ie. stacked on top of eachother 1 inch off the floor) in the center of the store.


oh...and my BB stocked DC games until both the XB and GC were out...then they sold their stock
 
At my store, I'm always surprised when I sell ANYTHING for PSP (even moreso when it's a PSP itself). The stuff just doesn't sell, except for the movies.

The DS, on the other hand, is constantly selling, as are the games.

Our PSP section is in the front of the store, and the DS section is in the back. It prolly comes down to Sony forking out money for the space, or EB thinking they'll make more money off it (since it is for big boys, after all). Before the PSP came out, one of the higher ups at EB made some comments about it being the greatest piece of technology ever, and clearly thinks it's cool as shit. Or, he was paid to say that.
 
olimario said:
I'm sure there is more than a little Sony influence at play behind the scenes
Click to expand...


Duh.

PS2 outselling Gamecube 6-1 and PSP outselling the DS a minimum of 4-1 for the past 5 months. Sony influence total.
 
The UMD movie thing shouldn't get out of hand, a nice selection of movies is fine, but the last thing we need is that every game store turns into a movie store. On a side note: my dad is a photographer and he sells camera's and stuff, and recently he got a letter from Sony Netherlands about how well photography and selling UMD movies would go together, hehe :)
 
Our new EB planogram is nowhere near that retarded, though we haven't seen the holiday one with the 360 in place yet. But seriously, whoever designes those things obviously have a)no clue about the customers who shop there and what they want and b)no experience working in the environment they create because they are almost always layed out to look good from a birds eye view and thats about it. I could do a better job setting our store up with one eye closed and an arm tied behing my back outside naked in the winter...
 
Am I the only person who doesn't understand how these UMD movies sell? I was excited to get Spiderman 2 packed into the PSP package, but when I got around to watching it I found myself really not enjoying it. Maybe if the UMD prices were cheaper ($10) instead of retail price for DVD's I'd buy another one to see if the experience changes.
 
sorryaboutdresden said:
Am I the only person who doesn't understand how these UMD movies sell? I was excited to get Spiderman 2 packed into the PSP package, but when I got around to watching it I found myself really not enjoying it. Maybe if the UMD prices were cheaper ($10) instead of retail price for DVD's I'd buy another one to see if the experience changes.
Click to expand...

When I had a PSP, I had 3 UMDs (T2, Predator, Napoleon Dynamite). I would watch them during work breaks, waiting for my oil to get changed, etc. The UMDs look very nice on the PSP and to some, its a hell of a lot better than the crapass 13" TV with RF switch they use for their PS2, XBox, whatever.
 
I would watch them during work breaks, waiting for my oil to get changed, etc. The UMDs look very nice on the PSP and to some, its a hell of a lot better than the crapass 13" TV with RF switch they use for their PS2, XBox, whatever.
Click to expand...

But did you actually enjoy them, or did they just waste some time by giving you something to look at? Watching movies on the go doesn't give me anywhere near the feeling you get when watching a movie at home. You can't really immerse yourself in it.
 
Ark-AMN said:
Nintendo space is always in the back. I remember reading somewhere that unlike Sony and MS, Nintendo doesn't really spend much on shelf space unless one of their own big titles is coming out (like Zelda).
Click to expand...


the fact that companies have to pay for shelf space is a bit ... disheartening. do any other markets work like this?
 
AniHawk said:
We're also getting a PSP kiosk thing in.
Click to expand...
Finally. I think this also, provided it's a nationwide thing, will benefit the PSP immensly. A lot of people have never even held or seen one in person, and I think that alone would sell tons of people on it.

Anyway, I'm glad to see the PSP getting such prime shelf space. I hope it continues to do really well.
 
Eh, this has nothing to do with DS sales or faith that corporate has in the system. It has to do with money, as someone said previously.

Nintendo, Sony, MS each "bid" for wallspace at specialized retailers like EB and Gamestop. It's the same reason some months they answer the phone "...Your Nintendo Headquarters", and other months you'll get "...Your Playstation Headquarters."

$$$$$$
 
impirius said:
Welcome to retail!

:-/
Click to expand...


dont they already get a cut from the sales? how does a brand new company get their products on the shelves? im not just talking about videogames.. is this how all retail works?
 
quadriplegicjon said:
.. is this how all retail works?
Click to expand...

Many times, yes. Atleast it's a common practice in grocery stores, hardware stores etc. If you have two competitors selling the exact same thing for about the same price, you often go with the one that has the best offer.
 
quadriplegicjon said:
the fact that companies have to pay for shelf space is a bit ... disheartening. do any other markets work like this?
Click to expand...
You don't have to pay for shelf space (the games will be on the shelves either way), but you DO have to pay if you want the choice spots in the store, instead of the dingy corner.

Other markets do work this way, although I don't think to the extent that it happens in the game industry (which kinda/sorta operates like the car industry).
 
CoolTrick said:
But did you actually enjoy them, or did they just waste some time by giving you something to look at? Watching movies on the go doesn't give me anywhere near the feeling you get when watching a movie at home. You can't really immerse yourself in it.
Click to expand...

Yeah that was my problem as well.
 
quadriplegicjon said:
is this how all retail works?
Click to expand...
well in the liquor store i work at reps for various companies talk to my manager on a weekly basis. product placement through the store, signage, promotions and a whole range of topics related to the product they're representing are discussed. they don't pay for it directly... they give 'incentives' to follow their suggestions. i imagine it'd be the case across many retail categories.
 
ft050905.gif


that said, when I went to FYE to reserve Mario Kart they told me that the company as a whole is scaling back all DS purchases and as such they don't preorder games anymore and they only order the "big" games to keep in the store and that's maybe two weeks after release. Anything else you have to special order. Why? The company is devoting all that scaled back purchasing power to beefing up the PSP purchasing.
 
quadriplegicjon said:
the fact that companies have to pay for shelf space is a bit ... disheartening. do any other markets work like this?
Click to expand...

Why do you think Frito Lay has a million chips on the rackets in supermarkets?
 
CoolTrick said:
But did you actually enjoy them, or did they just waste some time by giving you something to look at? Watching movies on the go doesn't give me anywhere near the feeling you get when watching a movie at home. You can't really immerse yourself in it.
Click to expand...

PSP + movie + headphones on a plane is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> listening to whiny kids on the flight.
 
ManaByte said:
PSP + movie + headphones on a plane is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> listening to whiny kids on the flight.
Click to expand...

Laptop + movie + headphones + games on a plane >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PSP + movie + headphones on a plane ;)
 
AniHawk said:
Well Gamestop is reorganizing again, at least in SoCal, and I'm assuming in other parts of the country.

The new model of the store has PSP movies/games/gear taking up 3 sections of a wall (out of about... oh let's say 12). 8 of the remaining sections are devoted to the PS2, and the final one is for X360. The 360 section moves into the old Xbox section and the Xbox section pushes the GC out of the picture all the way to where the handhelds are. GBA games go where PSX games and DVDs usually go, and DS titles as well: on the gondolas

I find it interesting that the system's been moved off the main wall so fast, meaning no Coming Soon boxes or Preorder Now signs either. Any other retail monkeys from other chains been doing similar reorginizing?

We're supposed to stop selling TV Games and action figures soon too.
Click to expand...

No one ever said Gamestop were smart.
 
CoolTrick said:
But did you actually enjoy them, or did they just waste some time by giving you something to look at? Watching movies on the go doesn't give me anywhere near the feeling you get when watching a movie at home. You can't really immerse yourself in it.
Click to expand...

Its subjective. I enjoyed watching the UMDs to pass the time. By your logic, portable CD players and MP3 players would be worthless to the consumer. They aren't and are quite the success.

Also, at some retailers, the UMD and DVD costs are the exact same. With UMDs at the same resolution (this is confirmed, stop trying to argue it), they can play it on their future UMD players AND play it on their PSPs. I don't think most people give a damn about extras either. I have owned almost 100 DVDs in my lifetime and never once ventured into the extras, unless it was an option to turn on captioning.

So there is the UMD consumer support in a nutshell.
 
bune duggy said:
ft050905.gif


that said, when I went to FYE to reserve Mario Kart they told me that the company as a whole is scaling back all DS purchases and as such they don't preorder games anymore and they only order the "big" games to keep in the store and that's maybe two weeks after release. Anything else you have to special order. Why? The company is devoting all that scaled back purchasing power to beefing up the PSP purchasing.
Click to expand...

FYE has got to be the worst store I have ever been into to purchase music.

That being said I don't hold much for thier video game sales.
 
jman2050 said:
Laptop + movie + headphones + games on a plane >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PSP + movie + headphones on a plane ;)
Click to expand...

PSP is smaller and more portable than a laptop, so it wins on a plane.
 
This isn't nothing new. I remember this happening with the Dreamycast. Sony squashed its shelf space with PS products and then PS2 ones. Buying space isn't quite right...but if Nintendo doesn't care, they only got themselves to blame. Just please don't tell me the cause of this is that non-game...
 
Leo said:
At my store, I'm always surprised when I sell ANYTHING for PSP (even moreso when it's a PSP itself). The stuff just doesn't sell, except for the movies.
Click to expand...

Personally, I would never buy PSP stuff at anything other than Fry's, because everything is marked down in rotating shifts. I haven't paid full price for a PSP game ever.
 
the gamestop where i (used) to work at, is getting ready for a layout change. but as far as i can tell the DS stuff is staying right at the front so it's the first thing you see when you walk in. the PSP section, which is right next to it, is getting out of hand. maybe 3 shelves now for games and about 7 shelves for movies.

to make room for the 360, about half the PC games are being cleared out, and thats the space that will be used. the remaining PC games will end up on gondola's. so the section to begin with, will have about as much space as the gamecube has right now. maybe a little less.

havent heard if they're doing any other moving around though, doesnt look like the DS stuff is being downgraded in our store (which is a decent size, and saleswise usually #1 in our district)
 
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