Casual Gamers Forcing Gamestop to Rethink Store Layouts [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

The Guardian Gamesblog has up a post noting that Gamestop will be rearranging stores to meet casual gamer needs. For example, they'll be creating a section just for music games (karaoke, guitar games, etc). They'll also be putting together a 'family-friendly' area, with a focus on titles like Nintendogs, Lego Star Wars, and the like. The post is based off of an interview in The New York Times with Daniel A. DeMatteo, Gamestop's vice chairman and chief operating officer. In his mind casual games are now so important to sales that the company is having to do some 'radical retail re-thinking': "There is a real breadth of properties now appealing to a much broader audience than we've seen before. Honestly, we are having to retool the way we think of things in our stores in terms of merchandising, layout and also customer service because it is no longer only the hardcore gamer walking in who knows exactly what he wants."Read more of this story (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/12/145200&from=rss) at Slashdot.
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[neogamer]

From a business perspective you can't blame them. It is sad for hardcore gamers like myself though. I have no problem with what they are doing as long as they still sell items that attract a hardcore gamer foolwing as well.

I just bought the Xbox 360 Hori Virtua Fighter 5 arcade stick. That is an example of what I consider a hardcore (or collector) item.

[Matt-El]

Yeah, it may be, but I bet they won't stop going that route, and try to push on reserves for the new Halo 4 Super Jumbo Uber legendary package for 999.99.

[Oobgarm]

Dan DeMatteo is a fucktard.

What ever happened to 'asking for help' when you can't locate an item? It's not like their stores are fucking mazes, designed to keep the uninformer purchaser at bay.

[neogamer]

Dan DeMatteo is a fucktard.

What ever happened to 'asking for help' when you can't locate an item? It's not like their stores are fucking mazes, designed to keep the uninformer purchaser at bay.


You would be amazed at how store design and layout influence how much the average consumer spends at a store.

Every retailer knows this and uses it to their knowledge and advantage, whether it be Target, Wal*Mart, Radio Shack, Best Buy, or even Game Stop!

Why do you think grocery stores put the candy isle close to check out? People are more willing to buy a low priced item on impulse than any other item in the store!

[FantasiaWHT]

You would be amazed at how store design and layout influence how much the average consumer spends at a store.

Every retailer knows this and uses it to their knowledge and advantage, whether it be Target, Wal*Mart, Radio Shack, Best Buy, or even Game Stop!

Why do you think grocery stores put the candy isle close to check out? People are more willing to buy a low priced item on impulse than any other item in the store!

It's actually a pretty smart idea. When I worked as a lowly sales associate back around 2000, the PS1 games were organized first by genre and then by title. I think doing EVERYTHING by genre might be too much, but nabbing the casual gamer, who would NOT be the kind willing to browse several hundred titles to find something for a kid, is a really smart idea.

[Ponyone]

You don't think McDonalds chose red and yellow as a color scheme just because they thought it looked neat... do ya?


I just wish gamestop would make a store where more than three customers can stand in line at the register.

Get more than 8 people in the store and you can't move.

[Oobgarm]

We tried organizing the games by genre once at GameStop. Corporate wanted to make things easier for 'non-gamers' to find.

It was a miserable failure, and things returned to the way they are now.

[Promophile]

I don't really really buy anything from Gamestop, (except exclusives and games with pre-order bonuses) but I think this is a pretty bad idea. Some games are hard to put into just one category. For example, look at the action RPG thread here to see how varied peoples opinions are on what they consider an action RPG.

[Bassgrabber]

I was inquiring about the PSP2000 at GS the other day. A guy with two kids (10-12 maybe?) came in. They were looking for 2 player shooters/fighters and the like for PS2, with NO blood, gore, or swearing.

The associate got a "do you know any?" look on his face as the Dad and I started talking, then caught on and came up with a few titles himself. After about ten minutes of their, the associates, and my staring at the shelves we came up with three games they didn't already have. One was a compilation which included a game he was specifically looking for.

I gotta say KUDOS to "Dad" for being involved. Seems rare (for the most part) these days. Then again, my 60 y/o neighbor knows that GTA stuff isn't appropriate for her 11 and under Grandkids. How she knows this I haven't a clue. She did make it a point to find out, tho.

Games are already filed alphabetically, with ESRB's on them, descriptions on the back. The arrangement has gotten markedly better in the past six months. YAY!

But alphabetically, by genre (and ESRB?).... hmmm... I wonder if they can take the next step in organization. Will they have a "filing list" so that associates who aren't sure where the game "fits" can shelve them properly?

A Dewey Decimal system for games, perhaps? Nah, I too don't think they have enough floorspace. Even without our beloved "classic plastics" <sigh>

[Cornelius]

As I read it, it didn't sound like they were going to re-arrange the whole store based on genre. More like they were going to take the current hot items that could easily be classified together and stick them all on a rack up front (I presume). I mean, it isn't a stretch to put 'music games' together on a rack, especially since I'm sure there are a ton of people that just go in to pick up one of them. Same with 'family' games; just take the top five sellers for each consul that fit the bill and put 'em all in the same place, though in that case I'd hope you could also find those games in the normal alphabetical shelf as well.

[FantasiaWHT]

No, no, sorry for bringing up the old practice of arranging by genre, that doesn't seem to be what's going on here.

Just picking a handful of genres (or just creating that one of family friendly, rather) that would be popular with the kind of people who do NOT want to have to look through a hundred titles to find something to buy. Alphabetical doesn't help these people if they don't do research before coming in to buy.

[BHvrd]

God forbid if Manhunt 2 gets in the "family" section by mistake. :D

[le geek]

This is a smart idea. I generally only go to Gamestop for their bargain bins, but I think this will serve them well.

Cheers,
Ben

[kainemaxwell]

Get more than 8 people in the store and you can't move.

Sounds like the small Gamestop store in my local mall.

[neogamer]

It's actually a pretty smart idea. When I worked as a lowly sales associate back around 2000, the PS1 games were organized first by genre and then by title. I think doing EVERYTHING by genre might be too much, but nabbing the casual gamer, who would NOT be the kind willing to browse several hundred titles to find something for a kid, is a really smart idea.

For once we agree! Couldn't be...????