still leaving this here though.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
UK Retailer GAME is dead | Brera's Lament
- Thread starter CrunchinJelly
- Start date
- Status
still leaving this here though.
Cosmic Schwung
Member
When it still had a downstairs I heard it was supposed to be the biggest videogame store in europe. They had so much awesome retro stuff down in that basement.
I think so yeah. The addresses on the list match up with the two Game stores, so it seems both Gamestations are still open. GS Lord Street is definitely still open.
The administrator is not responsible for paying any redundancy payments. Any claim is dealt with by the Redundancy payments service.
Yes, I am more a browser, but in this case thought I'd pop up. I was one of the senior sales upstairs.
N
NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
They are closing my local GAME. Shit. That means the only places now are ASDA, Tesco, Argos and Cex. I usually buy over the internet but it's still a loss.
In my town it's pretty much only Asda now that Game have closed up. Tesco always has a pretty bad selection and HMV and Gamestop have both closed up here within the past 2 months. Asda is surprisingly decent for new releases actually, And can often have good prices for stuff that's been sitting on the shelves for a while, FFXIII-2 for £20 for instance.
checkeredknight
Member
There are many, myself and checkeredknight among them.
Just out of curiosity LordAlu, are you guys in the same boat as us? We have no real clue as to what's happening... just that we're still needed to box the stock up. No idea how long it will take, whether or not we will get paid and if we'll be told to leave even before we get it finished. PM me if needs be, but no worries if you'd rather not say.
Just a heads up to everyone on GAF, thanks for the kind words. This is the only place I've seen on the net give some nice responses. Everywhere else seems to have people just whining about not being able to spend gift cards (not that I blame them, but still...)
N
NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
ASDA is better than Tesco for sure but its pretty shitty to not have a dedicated videogame store. GAME, as bad as they were, had their moments.
Little Old Man
Member
I definitely wasn't expecting the Game in Liverpool One to close, surprised at that as judging by the amount of people shopping around Liverpool One all the time I'd expect it to be quite popular.
The Gamestation in Huyton has closed
Seems that Gamestation in Warrington is gone, but no St Helens stores. Surprised about that, the last time I was there they had a Game and a Gamestation in the same shopping centre. Seems they've both survived for now.
I sometimes forget that Liverpool One despite being outdoors mostly, is still a traditional shopping mall, and an upmarket one at that with very high rents as you say. Though it is likely the L1 game pulled in more revenue than say the St Johns GS, the rent probably ate away massively into it, making it a low profit store, hence the closure as zomg said.
St Helens retaining both stores actually doesn't surprise me. Town of around 100,000+ people, plus further out areas (Prescot, Rainford, Ormskirk, etc etc), and the only competition in the town centre is HMV in the very same shopping centre, between Game and GS ironically. Add to that the rent won't be ridiculous, and anecdotally they've always been pretty busy, they're probably pulling in enough profits. I.e. St Helens has the right conditions to support two stores for now at least.
Didn't even know Huyton had a GS. As for Warrington, well I'd wager the recently regenerated shopping centre bumped up rents hugely. Plus there seems to be more competition.
I'm glad it went over the GameStation but it's still sad since I have been going to that Game for almost as long as I can remember.
Edit: Yay, I am now a full member
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
I don't have full details yet as it was my day off yesterday, but my manager got a conference call yesterday afternoon explaining what's happening. From what I understand, it's pretty much a case of packing every single piece of stock up and booking it off the system so it can be collected and transferred elsewhere.
As far as pay goes, all wages till the end of week 9 (so 31st March) have been put aside in a trust fund, so anything worked this week will be paid on the correct pay day so long as your payroll is completed correctly in store.
I should get some more details today when I go in. If there's anything else I'll let you know
Also, I'd like to echo checkeredknight's sentiments and thank GAF for their support for us and all the other GAFfers who are (ex)GAME/GS employees.
Just saw that Croydon lost the one in the Whitgift centre. That was a GAME that moved inside while the old store outside the centre was replaced with a GameStation. Always thought it was weird that they'd want to "move" away from the highstreet. Oh well haven't shopped in Croydon in years since I left school long ago and the one I used to use was already dead since it was in a Debenhams.
Midnight launches will never be the same now.
I can just imagine the huge queues that'll form outside Asda and Tesco now. Normal shoppers will probably wonder what on earth is going on.
I walked down the high street to M&S and it was open. I walked passed it again 20 minutes later and it was closed forever. Nearest store was Eastleigh, apparently. Surprised they kept that store open over the Winchester one.
When HMV inevitably bites the bullet there'll be nowhere left to buy games in the town centre.
Huh. I remember that a few of my university coursemates worked at the Preston Gamestation. Not sure if they would still be there. Of course, some were at the CEX directly opposite. Crafty shop placement.
Yeah. CEX is over the road from Preston Gamestation. With two Game stores going in Preston now the city centre will be even more of a ghost town. Half the mall is shut where Game has now closed.
There used to be a pretty good indie game store on Garstang Road which closed down a few years back.
There used to be a pretty good indie game store on Garstang Road which closed down a few years back.
Half of the mall is shut now? That's not a good sign. Place seemed pretty full when I was studying, left in early 2011.
jump_button
Banned
no HMV?
Yeah, last time I went in with the GF. It's the one near CEX, St George's or what ever it's called.
Anyway, There's a huge empty store on the first floor at the end near CEX which was DB3, that closed before Xmas. Then there was that indie DVD and game store opposite which closed. La Senza closed in the middle of it. A book store closed. Game has closed. Wallace has closed. Dorothy Perkins and Burton are closing soon, if not already because they are not profitable. I mean WTF! They are on the side facing the high street!
Official statement in this article
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-suspends-reward-and-gift-cards/093368
Just wanted to echo the thoughts of many others and wish those affected by the store shutdowns the very best.
Once upon a time I too, for my sins, served GMG, and though I've long since departed the world of gaming retail there remain fond memories of midnight openings, terrible shrink-wrap machine smells, PES sessions on slow days, and some truly entertaining customers...
Once upon a time I too, for my sins, served GMG, and though I've long since departed the world of gaming retail there remain fond memories of midnight openings, terrible shrink-wrap machine smells, PES sessions on slow days, and some truly entertaining customers...
Thanks.
Any stories you can share about entertaining customers?
Azure Phoenix
Member
Yup, already had some of that yesterday and I'm working for the next few days as well. Not looking forward to the rest of the week.
catashtrophe
Member
GAME and Gamestation closures - the complete list
Here is the full list, as reported by Retail Week. As we revelaed earlier, a total of 277 stores have closed resulting in 2,104 job losses.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/store-closures-begin-at-game-and-gamestation/093365
Here is the full list, as reported by Retail Week. As we revelaed earlier, a total of 277 stores have closed resulting in 2,104 job losses.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/store-closures-begin-at-game-and-gamestation/093365
j0hnny_385
Member
haha, well this is not surprising:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-27-shopto-pulls-bad-taste-game-reward-card-promotion
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-27-shopto-pulls-bad-taste-game-reward-card-promotion
It seems the only store close to me is in Belfast city centre.
I hope they do well but I still think the high street in general is doomed. I hope everyone finds themselves something else.
Someone asked for a funny story in retail, I remember when I worked in a sports store and a lady with loads of attitude brought in a set of mens swimwear. Before I could start she was giving me grief and loving the fact that the queue behind her was getting longer.
I explained she couldn't change them because they had been worn but the lady insisted they hadn't. Once I had turned them inside-out and asked were the huge skid-marks had come from, she snatched them off me and disappeared out the store.
I hope they do well but I still think the high street in general is doomed. I hope everyone finds themselves something else.
Someone asked for a funny story in retail, I remember when I worked in a sports store and a lady with loads of attitude brought in a set of mens swimwear. Before I could start she was giving me grief and loving the fact that the queue behind her was getting longer.
I explained she couldn't change them because they had been worn but the lady insisted they hadn't. Once I had turned them inside-out and asked were the huge skid-marks had come from, she snatched them off me and disappeared out the store.
Mr. Luchador
Member
People are trading Vitas in already? :\
I'm glad it went over the GameStation but it's still sad since I have been going to that Game for almost as long as I can remember.
Edit: Yay, I am now a full member
Are you sure? I thought that GAME was only there about a generation? I remember buying my first Wii there on launch night. Prior to that, that GAME was in a different place in the shopping centre and was previously an EB Games. That's where I bought my N64 and GC.
AHA-Lambda
Member
I'm still surprised they kept that one open when it's next to a brand new CEX and GForce.
MmmSkyscraper
Unconfirmed Member
"Manchester (Trafford) 124 Peel Centre, Trafford Centre"
Is that both of them? They had one upstairs and another directly underneath downstairs, which is a great example the retardation amongst that firm's management.
The Game in Oldham (Spindles shopping centre) has closed for business. I've frequented that store for years and first visited when it opened as part of the Electronic Boutique chain. It's going to be strange for a videogame store not to be in that particular unit.
The staff will be missed… I always found them friendly and well informed. My best wishes go out to them and all Game/Gamestation employees who have found themselves in this terrible situation.
The staff will be missed… I always found them friendly and well informed. My best wishes go out to them and all Game/Gamestation employees who have found themselves in this terrible situation.
It's a shame really that the great staff walk away with nothing and the directors will probably keep their company cars and big send-offs.
Keyser Soze
Member
This thread was turning into a bit of a downer recently, but now we are back on track!
MarkMclovin
Member
Good to see that the Barry Town Gamestation is still open. The nearest now is a Game and Gamestation in Cardiff.
xxczx
Member
I live on Callon, lol.
The DVD and game store was Replay or something wasn't it? I remember there being another one too called Game Exchange near H&M which closed shortly after it opened.
Huw_Dawson
Member
29 Broadway's closed in Accrington. I dunno if that's the Game or the GameStation, but most likely the former. I have shopped in both those stores for nearly ten years, I hope the staff in whichever store has closed can get the hell out of Accrington to find new jobs soon.
At least all the relevant gamestores in the centre are in one street and close to the station.
- Status