While Christmas is still a few months away, retailers are already in high gear doing whatever magical things they do behind the scenes in order to separate you from that hard earned dollar you've been hiding away in that shoe box underneath your bed. GameStop as well as anyone realizes that in order to do just that, you need to know your customers -- and the customers are changing. So sayeth Daniel DeMatteo, COO of GameStop:
"Honestly, we are having to retool the way we think of things in our stores in terms of merchandising, layout and also customer service because it is no longer only the hardcore gamer walking in who knows exactly what he wants."
Taking notice that new genres have sprung up in recent years, those powers that be in the corporate world have decided that the layout is ready for makeover of sorts. Expect to walk into your local Gamestop somewhere down the line and see two new sections: music and family. The first will be dedicated to those games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and SingStar, while the latter will focus on those younger players with the abundance of discretionary income. While I am by no means employed by GameStop, I fully expect to find a lot of Nintendo merchandise in this area. Just call it a hunch.
I'd like to see them focus on giving us more than pennies on the dollar for trade-ins that they promptly resell for slightly less than new games, but that's just capitalism at work. Even evil game stores need to make a profit.
[Via Gamesindustry -- Thanks Justin]
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Contest:
2:47 PM on 09.12.2007
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I've mistaken Twinkies for a Wiimote on several occasions. No wonder I'm always losing at Wii Sports. Tasty controllers, though.
so now im going to be badgered even more when i walk in? and why do you have to be considered hardcore to know what you want?
Wait, Cooking Mama is part of the problem! EVERYONE PANIC!
So that's it! And here I thought it was mind control, or a sickness -- and all along it was the root of all evil: money.
I will keep this in the mind the next time I visit our local store :-)
@blackaciddevil: my thoughts exactly.
@toneman: thank you.
just a thought, can they figure out a way to make gamestop/eb games itself not suck? The layout has always worked well enough for me, but the expriences myself and many others have had just blow. that is why i dont' go in those places anymore. maybe a customer suggestion box that is only for suggesting employees that should be fired. [just trying to help]
What they end up doing -- in their infinite corporate wisdom -- is putting Guitar Hero in a section with DDR and Donkey Conga, while Super Mario Galaxy and Kororinpa: Marble Mania get stuck in a section with Viva Pinata, Brain Age and the rest of the edutainment stuff.
I can't wait to be pawing through the 'E' section looking for a game. "Is Smash Bros. E or T? ARGH!"
@Gameboi: tasty controllers are tasty
I can't wait to shop somewhere else.
My manager likes that.
Plus I'm the only PS3 guy there.
I also agree that most gamestop floorplans are horrid. Ours is a bit scattershot, but it at least makes SOME sense to me.
I really don't think they'll ever break it up into sections based on the ESRB ratings. I would just plain quit. Well, after christmas when I've paid off all my addiction fodder.
*taps vein*
that is all.
but it makes snack time awesoe