Already at the end of November there were extremely plausible reports that GameStop was withdrawing from Germany. Now it's official, there's a shift in the shaft at the end of November.
Well, that's it for GameStop. After almost 20 years, the video game retailer is withdrawing completely from the German market. Corresponding reports, along with confirmations from some employees, have been circulating for some time, and now it is official via both the quarterly report and the newsletter sent to customers.
It confirms that the almost 70 branches in Germany will open their doors for the last time on January 30th, and the online store will run until January 10th. A clearance sale is now running at the same time, which initially starts with a discount of 10 percent.
GameStop has already closed stores in the past and tried to address changing consumer behavior, especially with regard to the massive increase in digital purchases, by restructuring and expanding its offerings, including through an increased focus on merchandise products. But it was of little use and sales remained declining. GameStop reported third-quarter sales of $860.3 million. In the corresponding period last year it was still 1.08 billion dollars. Net income was $17.4 million, after a loss of $3.1 million in the same period last year.
This means that there is little left of European business after Austria and Switzerland were cut out in 2023. According to colleagues from GamesEconomy The stores in Italy also go to a competitor, so that GameStop only remains present in Europe in France via the Micromania brand. Nonetheless, GameStop still has around 4,000 locations worldwide, primarily in North America and Australia.
Interestingly, there has been no statement from GameStop Deutschland GmbH to date. Employees and customers were informed in advance at the end of November; the current confirmations come from the quarterly report and the customer newsletter.
