we had a Gamestop in Peoria that was amazing from 2000-2015. they were really helpful, kind, and were genuinely happy to see you when you walked in. those days are LONG gone. you hate to see it!
If it wasn't for the couple of billions of dollars in savings GameStop had accumulated from used game sales the company would have joined Radio Shack and Circuit City in the dust of business history long ago. Now we have to watch a slow burn of a company that essentially dug its own grave and can't adapt to changing market forces. I see mom and pop gaming stores brimming with used games and yet GameStop chases after Funko figures and shirts that can't fit anyone. Personally, i don't see GameStop existing into the next decade.
I just visited the US and went to the gamestop I used to go years ago. Most of the stores is funko pop trash. It had like 200 games, among them xbox one, ps4 and switch. Very little anything else. It was such a disappointment. Funko pop things are always a sign that said business is going out.
Also not renewing my membership. Can find better pricing on most things I buy elsewhere. Previously I would get really pissed off when a preorder came in only to discover they’ve already opened it and placed it on the shelf because it was the only copy they received. Putting a sticker on it doesn’t make it new. The staff was always nice enough, though I haven’t gone there for years.
I like GameStop. I've been to good ones and bad ones. In general I wish their upper management cared more about their employees and customers than they do. But I i tend to have pretty good experiences when I go.
I shop at game stop rarely these days . When I do it’s only to pickup something I paid for online . They try to sell you membership when ever you try to do a walk in buy which is annoying af . Online paid pickups they don’t do that
I still appreciate my local GameStop, but yeah it is generally kinda sad. I still stop in once a month o redeem my pro reward but I don’t do much as far as preorders or etc anymore. The store I go to, the manager manages that store and another store, and they had to close the other store early because they didn’t have anyone covering it, and they had to temporarily close that store to go there to complete the closing procedure then come back.
GameStop in the 11th biggest city in America does not carry new games. It only gets copies for any preorders. The management says if no one preorders the game, they will never get any new copies. A game store that doesn’t carry new games? So they have nothing for me to buy there.
Corporate doesn't give the hours and even if they did, their old method of hiring: "kids will want to work for us because they get to be around video games even though we only pay 10$/hr to even third tier keyholders or ASMs" doesn't work anymore at this point. I'm a little bit biased against GameStop as a whole though, I felt that even when I worked at one decade+ ago that when you have an actual good store...it's not because of the company, it's in spite of it. I think the company has continuously made bad decisions and it takes good management and people that actually care to push back against it and still treat their customers like actual customers. The company is only had it's own warped interest in mind for a long time, it has no culture or actual love for games...so that's what trickles down when you as a leader let it. Last time I stopped shopping at GS was when some game advisor slapped a replacement plan and pre-order while I wasn't looking. I sorted it out in a way that probably got the guy fired (and really the SM that probably pushed that behavior should have been as well, but can't do anything about that) but that was my last time I ever felt the need to step in one myself.
We have steam, origin, Microsoft, and more online stores cuz no one wants to pay anyone. I am sure, GameStop company will run out of business, unless they close all stores and go completely online store, way cheaper than have a 1xxx physical stores.
You said it before; it’s staffing issues. Stores that are struggling to retain staff have their hours reduced. I don’t know of any stores in STL like that, but I’ve heard of examples in the GS private employee Discord of stores doing this.
STL resident here and thats all stores. Central, South-Town, Maplewood and South county stores are only open till 6pm and whether it be through phone or in-person, the customer service is just piss-poor. I say this as a guy who's worked in retail and food service for yesrs. Like i understand the staff are underpayed, overly scorned as the reason the company is failing and the store isn't open enough to give them atleast enough hours but the service and and overall quality of the establishment is at an all-time low. Iv only been in st. Louis for a year but this was also true about the Cincinnati gamestops and Oklahoma city locations too.
I had a store manager literally write down every purchase I have made in 3 months to try and upsell the membership program to me and then he embarrassed me on black Friday
I hardly ever shop at GameStop let alone some locations in the 2 towns that i zip back and forth to in California are closed. Especially the one and only GameStop in my small town i live in closed on days it should be opened just like you said... I just think it's the generations of young workers that just don't wanna work cause they wanna be doing tiktoks... That's my opinion...
Exactly, in the store did something very similar. In fact I think they're pandemic hours were either 11:00 to 6:00 or 12:00 to 6:00. We're well past that though. And again it's just sad that this store used to be amazing with an amazing staff and now can not only not keep staff but has to reduce hours because of it
Lol, this is super relevant. I just wanted simple information about Silent Hill 2's release tomorrow. Called 5 stores before i could finally get one to answer their phone to see if a midnight release is a thing still or if they'll have physical copies in-store. Not only are all the stores in Saint Louis only open from 12-6pm anyday of the week but the dude i talked to was completely apathetic, and a douchebag. Like hey dawg, if you're miserable and unhappy at a dying company, get another job. Im literally trying to give yall my money so you can get paid.
My local GameStop was a good one, but sometime after the middle of June/early July it seems the entire staff changed almost overnight, I've not seen any of the same employees in there, and there was a girl in there I liked and was talking to and hoping maybe she'd eventually be my girlfriend and I feel like I lost my girl before I even had her to lose. Edit found out she quit sometime in June.
Operating a TH-cam channel is a lot of work. But it has its perks. In addition to the big-money you get paid, you have a platform to bitch about stuff that annoys you. Never hesitate to take advantage of that opportunity.
And this is less "bitching" and more observing how a once great location has fallen due to poor management decisions. From conversations I had with people after the awesome store manager left, the DM actively pushed him out due to the fact that, even though the store was a top performer, his salary was too high and they needed to reduce costs and overhead at that location. So instead of rewarding someone who worked his butt off, gave a damn, and made things better, they got rid of him. And what remains is a location that now can't support normal business hours.
What if GameSrop was bought by Walmart or Target and incorporated in to either their existing game section or for Walmart, maybe a front end store. Nintendo will sell more physical copies in store because that is where parents and grandparents go. Let's face it, Nintendo has always been a younger generation crowd with still a large older demographic that were Nintendo gamers when they were young. There are many that move on to the more powerful systems cause they want better graphics and play COD. I'm more of a Splatoon FPS gamer. I get my highend fix on PC.
Gamestop just isn't the place to go for games anymore. My local instore selection of new and used games stinks. Even when they run sales there isn't enough selection to make it worth a visit.
I gave up on GameStop long ago. The one close to me never has very good stock. One of my sons usually wants to go with me and GameStop anymore is filled with overpriced toys that I always spend more money.
I shop at game stop rarely these days . When I do it’s only to pickup something I paid for online . They try to sell you membership when ever you try to do a walk in buy which is annoying af . Online paid pickups they don’t do that
we had a Gamestop in Peoria that was amazing from 2000-2015. they were really helpful, kind, and were genuinely happy to see you when you walked in. those days are LONG gone. you hate to see it!
Agreed, when you get a good staff it makes all the difference
@@RoXolid it really does!
If it wasn't for the couple of billions of dollars in savings GameStop had accumulated from used game sales the company would have joined Radio Shack and Circuit City in the dust of business history long ago. Now we have to watch a slow burn of a company that essentially dug its own grave and can't adapt to changing market forces. I see mom and pop gaming stores brimming with used games and yet GameStop chases after Funko figures and shirts that can't fit anyone. Personally, i don't see GameStop existing into the next decade.
I agree
This isn't just GameStop... It's hard to get anyone to do any work these days... If they even show up
Not wrong
Ever since coof, a lot of people dropped out of the workforce, and people under 25yo are just lazy as sh*t.
They don’t pay a living wage or give full time hours. Then they treat employees like trash. So sooner they close the better, sadly.
I just visited the US and went to the gamestop I used to go years ago. Most of the stores is funko pop trash. It had like 200 games, among them xbox one, ps4 and switch. Very little anything else. It was such a disappointment. Funko pop things are always a sign that said business is going out.
They were early on that bandwagon though
Also not renewing my membership. Can find better pricing on most things I buy elsewhere. Previously I would get really pissed off when a preorder came in only to discover they’ve already opened it and placed it on the shelf because it was the only copy they received. Putting a sticker on it doesn’t make it new. The staff was always nice enough, though I haven’t gone there for years.
Agreed!
I like GameStop. I've been to good ones and bad ones. In general I wish their upper management cared more about their employees and customers than they do. But I i tend to have pretty good experiences when I go.
You nailed it.
I shop at game stop rarely these days . When I do it’s only to pickup something I paid for online . They try to sell you membership when ever you try to do a walk in buy which is annoying af . Online paid pickups they don’t do that
I still appreciate my local GameStop, but yeah it is generally kinda sad. I still stop in once a month o redeem my pro reward but I don’t do much as far as preorders or etc anymore. The store I go to, the manager manages that store and another store, and they had to close the other store early because they didn’t have anyone covering it, and they had to temporarily close that store to go there to complete the closing procedure then come back.
I miss what this store and staff was, they were outstanding. That's what really sucks, it used to be SO GOOD!
I do have to say I am happy to see they are bringing back a focus on newer retro games. 360, PS3, wii.
GameStop in the 11th biggest city in America does not carry new games. It only gets copies for any preorders. The management says if no one preorders the game, they will never get any new copies. A game store that doesn’t carry new games? So they have nothing for me to buy there.
Corporate doesn't give the hours and even if they did, their old method of hiring: "kids will want to work for us because they get to be around video games even though we only pay 10$/hr to even third tier keyholders or ASMs" doesn't work anymore at this point. I'm a little bit biased against GameStop as a whole though, I felt that even when I worked at one decade+ ago that when you have an actual good store...it's not because of the company, it's in spite of it. I think the company has continuously made bad decisions and it takes good management and people that actually care to push back against it and still treat their customers like actual customers. The company is only had it's own warped interest in mind for a long time, it has no culture or actual love for games...so that's what trickles down when you as a leader let it.
Last time I stopped shopping at GS was when some game advisor slapped a replacement plan and pre-order while I wasn't looking. I sorted it out in a way that probably got the guy fired (and really the SM that probably pushed that behavior should have been as well, but can't do anything about that) but that was my last time I ever felt the need to step in one myself.
Agreed, they hire the least experienced and pay them next to nothing because they think the kids will just be happy "being in the gaming industry"
We have steam, origin, Microsoft, and more online stores cuz no one wants to pay anyone. I am sure, GameStop company will run out of business, unless they close all stores and go completely online store, way cheaper than have a 1xxx physical stores.
You said it before; it’s staffing issues. Stores that are struggling to retain staff have their hours reduced. I don’t know of any stores in STL like that, but I’ve heard of examples in the GS private employee Discord of stores doing this.
For example my store in the southern most suburb in St. Louis county is 12-8 M-Th, 10-9 F & Sat, & 11-6 on Sunday.
It's just unfortunate because the store and staff used to be amazing
STL resident here and thats all stores.
Central, South-Town, Maplewood and South county stores are only open till 6pm and whether it be through phone or in-person, the customer service is just piss-poor.
I say this as a guy who's worked in retail and food service for yesrs. Like i understand the staff are underpayed, overly scorned as the reason the company is failing and the store isn't open enough to give them atleast enough hours but the service and and overall quality of the establishment is at an all-time low.
Iv only been in st. Louis for a year but this was also true about the Cincinnati gamestops and Oklahoma city locations too.
My local GameStop is open 12-7 m-thur and 11-9 on Fri and Sat. Only Sunday is 12-6.
That makes a little more sense
I had a store manager literally write down every purchase I have made in 3 months to try and upsell the membership program to me and then he embarrassed me on black Friday
Haven’t renewed my GameStop in a year, don’t miss it either
I miss how this store used to be
I hardly ever shop at GameStop let alone some locations in the 2 towns that i zip back and forth to in California are closed. Especially the one and only GameStop in my small town i live in closed on days it should be opened just like you said... I just think it's the generations of young workers that just don't wanna work cause they wanna be doing tiktoks... That's my opinion...
During the pandemic the ones around me didn't open until 12 but they're back down to 10 and 11 now
Exactly, in the store did something very similar. In fact I think they're pandemic hours were either 11:00 to 6:00 or 12:00 to 6:00. We're well past that though. And again it's just sad that this store used to be amazing with an amazing staff and now can not only not keep staff but has to reduce hours because of it
@@RoXolid gaming the way we loved it is dying 😭😭
Best Buy is gonna go out of business without physical media, most of the stuff there you can get at Walmart or somewhere else.
Lol, this is super relevant. I just wanted simple information about Silent Hill 2's release tomorrow.
Called 5 stores before i could finally get one to answer their phone to see if a midnight release is a thing still or if they'll have physical copies in-store.
Not only are all the stores in Saint Louis only open from 12-6pm anyday of the week but the dude i talked to was completely apathetic, and a douchebag.
Like hey dawg, if you're miserable and unhappy at a dying company, get another job. Im literally trying to give yall my money so you can get paid.
My local GameStop was a good one, but sometime after the middle of June/early July it seems the entire staff changed almost overnight, I've not seen any of the same employees in there, and there was a girl in there I liked and was talking to and hoping maybe she'd eventually be my girlfriend and I feel like I lost my girl before I even had her to lose. Edit found out she quit sometime in June.
Operating a TH-cam channel is a lot of work. But it has its perks. In addition to the big-money you get paid, you have a platform to bitch about stuff that annoys you. Never hesitate to take advantage of that opportunity.
Yes, I get paid soooo much from TH-cam Bill. Are you serious with that right now?
And this is less "bitching" and more observing how a once great location has fallen due to poor management decisions. From conversations I had with people after the awesome store manager left, the DM actively pushed him out due to the fact that, even though the store was a top performer, his salary was too high and they needed to reduce costs and overhead at that location. So instead of rewarding someone who worked his butt off, gave a damn, and made things better, they got rid of him. And what remains is a location that now can't support normal business hours.
@@RoXolid I guess I should have written it with quotations. “Big Money.”
Uh huh
What if GameSrop was bought by Walmart or Target and incorporated in to either their existing game section or for Walmart, maybe a front end store. Nintendo will sell more physical copies in store because that is where parents and grandparents go. Let's face it, Nintendo has always been a younger generation crowd with still a large older demographic that were Nintendo gamers when they were young. There are many that move on to the more powerful systems cause they want better graphics and play COD. I'm more of a Splatoon FPS gamer. I get my highend fix on PC.
Gamestop just isn't the place to go for games anymore. My local instore selection of new and used games stinks.
Even when they run sales there isn't enough selection to make it worth a visit.
I gave up on GameStop long ago. The one close to me never has very good stock. One of my sons usually wants to go with me and GameStop anymore is filled with overpriced toys that I always spend more money.
This store used to be fantastic, that's what's so sad.
Lapsed viewer here but did you ever recover from being laid off?
I am working again, thanks for asking
My game stop in Youngstown OH is great always friendly good service never messed up any of my orders. Store always socked.
That's awesome! This store used to be that way, that's what makes this so sad
My mother's very proud!
Good for you. Nothing beats a mother's love
Is it a bad Gamestop? Sounds like most Gamestops I've visited in the last few years. (Which is several) This company does not have long to live.
This store was exceptional. Then they forced out the really excellent manager and it's been trash since
GameStop has too many stores. Get rid of all the stores and they'll be alright.
Not in this case. This is the only store within an hour
@@RoXolidYep most of IL south of Peoria is like that (grew up in southern IL.)
gamestop should just stop trying to stay in business and just go out of business, they have been irrelevant for a very long time
All gamestops suck !!
No, the store in Bloomington is damn good.
@@RoXolidmy local GameStop is great.
I shop at game stop rarely these days . When I do it’s only to pickup something I paid for online . They try to sell you membership when ever you try to do a walk in buy which is annoying af . Online paid pickups they don’t do that