Gamestop: Germany's last branch close until January 2025!

Gamestop: Germany's last branch close until January 2025!

A striking chapter in German retail is coming to an end: The GameStop electronics chain is expected to close all 69 branches in Germany by the end of January 2025. Reports from different media, such as Ruhr24 and come-on.de confirm that the branch managers have already been informed about the upcoming closures. This decision marks the final end of the once popular chain, which operated over 200 locations in Germany, but has now been strongly hit by the growing online competition and falling sales figures.

closures bring uncertainty for employees

The closings affect a total of around 500 employees who now have to worry about their future. The information about what is coming from the branches has been given to the employees proactively, but so far there is no official confirmation on the part of the company's headquarters in the United States. Currently, the Gamestop branches no longer accept pre-orders, and the purchase offer for used games has been discontinued. But despite the approaching closures, the online shop remains active for the time being, which offers customers the opportunity to continue to acquire games and consoles.

The withdrawal of Gamestop is part of a wider-wider retail crisis that is characterized by the growing dominance of online trading. The parent company of Gamestop recently reported a massive decline in sales in the second quarter of 2024, which further tightened the already tense situation. While the operating sequence in Germany is shut down next to the branches, the dimensions of the closures are a clear sign of the challenges with which other retailers are also faced. The industry faces a difficult market environment, which makes the closures even more sad.