It’s well known that many governments around the world are actively encouraging high street retailers, wherever possible, the shut their doors in order to attempt to limit the spread of the Coronavirus. There were, however, reports that GameStop in America was very deliberately attempting to find means to get around this. Specifically, by attempting to declare themselves as an ‘essential’ business.
Well, in something of a very quick and dramatic U-turn, the company has now confirmed the closure of all retail locations in Canada and also America. Albeit, the latter isn’t technically true.
GameStop (Sort Of) Closes its Stores
In a report via GamesIndustry, GameStop has now confirmed that all US stores will close their doors. Rather than shutting down completely, however, the stores will still (sort of) remain open. So what are they doing exactly? Well, from what we can ascertain, while people will not be able to actually enter their retail locations, they will instead be able to ‘collect’ items from the door.
Now exactly what this will represent is unclear and, based on their original policy, certainly seems to be a step in the right direction. Many do, however, still see this as GameStop attempting to find further creative means to ensure that their physical locations can still (in a manner of speaking) remain open.
What Do We Think?
It’s something we’ve been saying for a while now, but it doesn’t take a financial genius to see that GameStop, as a business, has been struggling for quite some time. As such, the effects of the Coronavirus may (sooner or later) represent the final nail in their coffin. You can, therefore, be somewhat sympathetic to the situation. That is, however, as far as we’re willing to go.
Their original policy was, quite frankly, irresponsible! Thankfully, someone at GameStop has come to some sense, but it possibly only happened because their original mandate (presumably intended to be kept a secret) was revealed to the public. Any way you look at it though, it’s yet another PR disaster for the company.
What do you think? Do you think this is a better policy or do you view GameStop as still trying to skirt common sense? – Let us know in the comments!
