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Gamestop: You Decide — Friend or Foe?
Hopefully after this article you’ll be able to make a more informed answer to that question.
America has a love-hate relationship with the video game reseller Gamestop. The ubiquitous retailer of new and used games and collectibles has made a very good business out of what is essentially pawn shop mentality;
Buy cheap from the desperate and resell for big profit.
It is hard to consider video gamers looking to flip silver discs as “desperate” but the truth is — Gamestop has the market for used games covered pretty well.
While hardly a monopoly (after all, the best part about physical ownership of video games is the ability to sell, rent or trade to anyone you want after you no longer want them) they offer a level of convenience and accessibility where online resale mediums like CraigsList or eBay do not. You can find them on a street corner in every neighborhood and in every mall (the ones that are left, anyway) in America.
Despite the seemingly universal hatred of Gamestop they were able to turn a profit of over $3 billion last year. The aggressive suggestive selling, often in-ept and rude employees, ridiculous pricing (especially when they jack up the price of used games during sale periods) and terrible trade values are all just a few reasons why people tend to dislike the…
