Well behind the curve and after showing its true colors by putting profits over the health and safety of consumers, employees, and the general public, GameStop has closed its U.S. stores to customers and will now process orders on a digital basis only. Curbside or store pick-up and eCommerce delivery will be the only options from now on.
In an additional move uncharacteristic of the failing company, employees whose hours have been eliminated will be paid for an additional two weeks and will be reimbursed one month of employee benefit contributions.
According to a GameStop news release, this process is meant to limit customer access to storefronts. Speaking about the decision, GameStop’s chief executive officer George Sherman stated:“This is an unprecedented time and each day brings new information about the COVID-19 pandemic. Our priority has been and continues to be on the well-being of our employees, customers, and business partners. We have been steadfast in our adherence to CDC-guided safety and local government orders for retailers in each of our communities.”
The decision to transition to operations that limit the potential spread of COVID-19 is absolutely necessary but apparently wasn’t as necessary for GameStop last week, prior to the release of Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. If GameStop were truly concerned about the health and safety of its employees and customers, it likely wouldn’t have claimed to be an essential business last week, causing lineups of hundreds of people outside its stores on March 20.
It seems like the overwhelmingly negative press associated with GameStop’s decision to remain open outweighed the potential for profit. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before someone with authority came down hard on the organization for its blatant disregard of public safety.
There has been some speculation that part of the reason that GameStop refused to close initially has to do with its long-term problems and efforts to regain lost market share. The company has long been on a downward spiral and has become less and less relevant to consumers, and a large part of that is due to the ending lifespan of the current generation of video game consoles.
With both Sony and Microsoft releasing new consoles later this year, assuming there is no delay, GameStop is likely doing all it can to survive until consumers flock to purchase new hardware and video games in person. Now that GameStop’s stores are closing to costumers, it will be interesting to see if it can survive long enough or that to occur.
Source: GameStop
READ NEXT: Pokémon Home Catches $2.6 Million In Gross Revenue During First Month
