Gamestop sells Canadian operations, re-branding (back) to EB Games

T

touchfuzzy

Member
Some interesting news, Gamestop has sold their Canadian operations to a Canadian entrepreneur who is re-branding all the stores back to 'EB Games' (which was the prominent game store here Gamestop bought out). Saying all the right things about making things better, etc. etc. -- will be interesting to see how it goes. Hopefully it goes back to being a game store instead of a junky collectibles store with games on the side.

www.newswire.ca

Stephan Tetrault Acquires GameStop Canada

/CNW/ - Stephan Tetrault, a prominent French-Canadian entrepreneur and longtime leader in the collectibles and entertainment space, has officially acquired...
www.newswire.ca www.newswire.ca

TORONTO, May 5, 2025 /CNW/ - Stephan Tetrault, a prominent French-Canadian entrepreneur and longtime leader in the collectibles and entertainment space, has officially acquired Electronics Boutique Canada inc. also known as "GameStop Canada" from GameStop Global Holdings S.A.R.L.

The acquisition marks a new chapter for the Canadian retailer, which will relaunch as EB Games Canada—a beloved and iconic name many Canadian gamers still associate with their earliest gaming experiences.


The move reflects a commitment to revitalizing Canada's gaming retail scene, bringing renewed focus to customer experience, collector culture, and the unique preferences of Canadian gamers.

"This isn't just a business decision—it's about bringing something back that Canadians truly loved," said Stephan Tetrault, Owner and CEO of the newly rebranded EB Games Canada. "We're going to build something special here, with community, nostalgia, and innovation at its heart."

EB Games Canada, which had originally been rebranded to GameStop Canada in 2021, will now return to its roots with a fresh identity that merges classic elements with modern retail experiences. Plans for the revamped EB Games include enhanced in-store events, expanded product lines, deeper integration with pop culture brands, and a renewed focus on Canadians.

"We want EB Games Canada to be more than a store—we want it to be the hub for gaming and fandom culture across Canada," said Jim Tyo, President, GameStop Canada. "This is about passion, and that's what's going to drive every decision we make."

The transition to EB Games Canada will roll out nationwide over the coming months, including updated store signage, a redesigned website, and new branding across digital and social platforms all in order to enhance customer experience.
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Well we had EB Games too, GameStop bought them out and rebranded.

I went to a GameStop to trade in my PS5 and it was sad, man. Sunday afternoon, floor was dirty, only one overworked guy there (and a console trade in takes time so it backed everything up, yes people came in looking to buy stuff), they didnt have trade in cards to give me, it was just depressing. I like to support b&m but not like this...
 
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diffusionx said:
Well we had EB Games too, GameStop bought them out and rebranded.

I went to a GameStop to trade in my PS5 and it was sad, man. Sunday afternoon, floor was dirty, only one overworked guy there (and a console trade in takes time so it backed everything up, yes people came in looking to buy stuff), they didnt have trade in cards to give me, it was just depressing. I like to support b&m but not like this...
Click to expand...

The one in my local mall has gone way downhill too, seems to be managed by a different new overweight middle-aged lady every time I'm in there, no one know how to operate their point-of-sale stuff or knows anything about games. Back when I worked there like 2008-2011 it was all us nerds in it together having fun and chatting up the latest games and releases.
 
Donald Trump GIF by PBS News
 
Electronics Boutique came to Canada somewhere around 1994-ish I think.

It was great. Suddenly you got all these big new stores popping up in shopping malls with tons of console and PC games. Nicely stocked and fresh as opposed to messy sections in other stores and all those hit and miss mom and pop shops. In the US it seemed there were a lot more big franchise gaming stores as game mags would always have those back of the mag. In Canada, there were dedicated game shops, but they were small one-offs or small chains like rip off Microplay. If you didnt buy games from there, you went to TRU or department or electronics stores where gaming wasnt a priority.

But Electronics Boutique when they arrived was awesome. Low prices, price match, and refund policy! What's not to love?

Then prices jacked up, no more price match, no more return policy. Then Gamestops came around and some places had an EB store and GS store in the same mall. Weird as hell. The GS name stuck and the other store shut down. At some point EB Games was the name as it had already truncated from Electronics Boutique.
 
The company is cooked. They got some extra time from the meme stock cash infusion, but they are done. If they had any sense they would have sold everything after the Xbox One reveal (even after the reversal).
 
Electronics Bou-geek! This was MY GODDAMN STORE in the 1990s. In the early 80s, you had Sears and other department stores with video gaming sections (which were absolutely paradise) and of course as the years wore on, the magical card-laden aisles of Toys R Us.. and the presentation displays behind glass at Kay Bee. One incredible day a young wondermega discovered that the local mall had opened up a little shop specifically tailored to selling all the latest video games and basically nothing else - you'd walk in, there would be Genesis/Super Nintendo on the left side of the store, and PC "big box" games filling out the right. Of course they had all the expected gaming mags as well. I don't recall there ever being any demo units (not until much later, I guess) but at the time it was like someone took a microscope directly into my tiny brain and said "what is the one thing this basic-ass nerd will enjoy more than anything else?"

There was something about the whole feeling of the place - the other stores I mentioned earlier, even Toys R Us, they clearly were the destination for all things gaming in their day but honestly no one who worked at those places really cared about, or "got" what the gaming culture meant as it was coming into fashion. Maybe because it wasn't really there yet, and video gaming was still in it's "fad/toy" phase. EB and stores like it (Software Etc, Babbage's) made it feel like it was truly becoming this valid, legit hobby and you could go there and be with "your people" and feel correctly catered to by your peers, they "got it." I am sure this sounds ridiculous to people now, since there's been explicitly gaming-centric stores for literally decades at this point.

Anyway I have no illusions about things going back to the way they were in those times, it's just something to wax nostalgic about like everything else at this point. If I saw an actual Electronics Boutique in the wild somehow, today, I'd expect it to be exactly like a modern Gamestop (how or why could it be anything else?) and basically of zero interest to the gamer I am now, but no lie it would warm my heart a little - as you can probably tell.
 
Buying a game store back in this climate is the same as flushing money down the toilet in this very digital heavy industry which hardware not even including a disc drive anymore. There's a reason GameStop started selling toy junks.
 
The GameStop by me closed late last year after at least 20 years operating there. When they took down the GameStop sign you could still see the EB Games logo stain on the building facade.
 
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