Gamestop buying EB

[poopnes]

I've always preferred EB over Gamestop/Funco. They've been "my" store since the SNES days. Though I have to say, EB isn't what they used to be. For me EB really died when they changed their return policy. Who here can say they bought a new game, beat it and then returned it back to EB saying they didn't like it? And also how they used to only accept trade-ins with box and instructions.

My biggest problem with this isn't that EB stores will be gone, its that EBgames.com will be no more. Cheap/free shipping (if you are willing to wait a week and take advantage of .99$ Genesis games and the SAVER code), cheap games (the $3 and under PSX section is full of goodness), and best of all the still stock retro games. I've heard its hit and miss when it comes to retro stuff, but so far I've had nothing but good luck with them.

I'm just rambling. I'll truly miss EB.

[Bluteg]

CLSCBOGO and SAVER will greatly be missed when GS takes over.

[Zadoc]

I don't see how anyone can be upset buy this, both retail chains fuckin' suck.

The only good that can come out of this is that with the acquisition of the new stores Gamestop will continue to self-canibalize its self and force the entire company into bankruptcy. As a result, both evil entities, Gamestop and EB, would be dead. Even better is that, as a result of their bankruptcy (specifically the liquidation of assets), the market will be flooded with cheap games, especially eBay.

I'm sorry, but that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. That's not how liquidations work. Most likely the ENTIRE assets would get put up for tender. Someone would buy them lock stock and barrel and try to turn them for a profit. With the volume of stock we're talking about, to suggest that the assets would be sold cartridge by cartridge on ebay is just wrong...

-_-

When Gamestop goes under, which it will, it's assets will be liquidated by being divided up into massive lots and sold on the auction block. Just the same as when any company tanks. A LOT of that stock will filter through eBay, just as it did when 3DO folded, just as it did when Akklaim went under.

[klausien]

Wish we had a Game Crazy in NJ...

There are quite a few in NJ, though mostly in the center of the state (I have two by me now). But I am from Sussex County and lived in Budd Lake for a year so:

If you are in Dover, take 46 or 10 East to 206 North. There is a Game Crazy in the Hollywood Video by the Byram ShopRite.

[klausien]

I think it may be time to have shirts printed that say:

NO, I DO NOT NEED TO RESERVE ANYTHING.
NO, I DO NOT WANT A SUBSCRIPTION TO YOUR STUPID MAGAZINE.
NO, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING MY GAMES.

NOW LEAVE ME ALONE.

Or something to that effect. Granted, they do this in EB as well, but Gamestop employees are like flies on sh!t. It is really amazing how they have been able to make their employees so afraid of management that they talk the talk as if they earn commission.

It is important that I stress that this is not the fault of the employees. I have worked at Gamestop on several occasions, in college and between jobs, and have had a great time. My manager became a personal friend and really does a great job. He is one of those people who really cares that he does his best. Unfortunately, management is always up his a$$. It's the old American corporate motto that if you do a good job, they expect double. It doesn't matter that his inventory is constantly less that 1% shrink, or that the store reserved the most PSPs of any in the district. They get on him about stupid bullsh!t constantly. A store can make a mint, but if there aren't enough reserves or subscriptions sold, they are on the sh!tlist. Also, the DM was a douchebag. I refuse to kiss anyones a$$.

I apologize for swearing so much, but this really ticks me off.

Gamestop is a sweatshop. I will be searching elsewhere for my games from now on.

[kainemaxwell]

Wish we had a Game Crazy in NJ...

There are quite a few in NJ, though mostly in the center of the state (I have two by me now). But I am from Sussex County and lived in Budd Lake for a year so:

If you are in Dover, take 46 or 10 East to 206 North. There is a Game Crazy in the Hollywood Video by the Byram ShopRite.
Oh I didn't know there was one sorta close to me then! Thanks!

[klausien]

No problem. Enjoy! I have gotten some good stuff there. Klonoa and Motor Toon GP come to mind. Not sure what they have right now. The last time I was there, they had piles and piles of NES, SNES & Genesis stuff, in addition to a nice selection of Game Gear games. Aside from the usual stuff of course.

[Big Papa Husker]

I think it may be time to have shirts printed that say:

NO, I DO NOT NEED TO RESERVE ANYTHING.
NO, I DO NOT WANT A SUBSCRIPTION TO YOUR STUPID MAGAZINE.
NO, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING MY GAMES.

NOW LEAVE ME ALONE.

Or something to that effect. Granted, they do this in EB as well, but Gamestop employees are like flies on sh!t. It is really amazing how they have been able to make their employees so afraid of management that they talk the talk as if they earn commission. on the sh!tlist. Also, the DM was a douchebag. I refuse to kiss anyones a$$.


Hmm... if someone made this shirt, I would buy it and wear it every time I go into Gamestop... Add it to the DP shop? ;) :)

[Daria]

but Gamestop employees are like flies on sh!t. It is really amazing how they have been able to make their employees so afraid of management that they talk the talk as if they earn commission.

It's called a quota. At least for the magazine reservations, and if you don't meet it you can be fired.

[PentiumMMX]

The other day I was having an "okay" conversation with a Game Crazy employee, about gaming in general. (they've stopped taking Saturn trade-ins by the way) We cut our conversation short so he could help a customer. It was a 13 year old kid whose mother was there to help him buy GTA San Andreas. In less than 30 seconds the kid went from buying a new copy of the game to being shuffled into buying a used copy (no case, with manual). The reason given by the employee was "to save you some money". Then the employee proceeded to convince the kid that there was "no way" he could play the game without the strategy guide. The kid then lost his "used game" savings by buying the strategy guide. He really had no idea he was being sucked in and processed by the retail combine.

I've overheard this happening at eb and gamestop a number of times as well. I can't say I think they're "evil" for it, because they're just businesses trying to turn a profit and I don't think that's evil. I can say I don't like it and it certainly makes me want to avoid going into those stores.


I have never had this happen at Gamestop before. Yes! A Gamestop that does not try to make you buy Cleaning Kits and issues of Game Informer!


I am very happy with this. I HATE eb games, but really like Gamestop. So am happy with this.

Kudos, Nintendoman!

[DragonMaster Sam]

It kinda sucks to see that, but it doesn't matter much to me. I can't buy SNES games from Gamestop anyway, because last year they stopped taking trade-ins because "they weren't making enough revenue", or whatever some guy at Gamestop told me. Looks like I'll have to resort to EStarland or Ebay for SNES games.

[MegaDrive20XX]

I think it may be time to have shirts printed that say:

NO, I DO NOT NEED TO RESERVE ANYTHING.
NO, I DO NOT WANT A SUBSCRIPTION TO YOUR STUPID MAGAZINE.
NO, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING MY GAMES.

NOW LEAVE ME ALONE.



Now that's a shirt I'd proudly wear.

[mezrabad]

I can't say I think they're "evil" for it, because they're just businesses trying to turn a profit and I don't think that's evil. I can say I don't like it and it certainly makes me want to avoid going into those stores.


Oh great, another "the video game business is holy" thought. Sorry, its a little ridiculous. Would you stop buying shoes at a store if they told you you get a discount on socks with those shoes? You do need them and they are real nice socks. I doubt it.

You've taken away the wrong point from my post and your shoe analogy is poor at best. This isn't entirely your fault as my point wasn't entirely clear, not even to me. Perhaps I should have outright stated that I'd rather do my shopping online then deal with pretty much *any* retail games chain.

It's not them, it's me. Hell, It bothers me when they ask if they can "help me find anything" more than twice in a ten minute period. I know they have to run a business, but it bothers me to see/hear people taken advantage of. I'm better off just not going in at all and instead finding the game on ebay or even through online retail.

Maybe I only feel this way because I am familiar with videogames, or maybe because I feel like I hear this script played out *every* time I walk into a retail chain store. (my example took place at Game Crazy, but I've heard it at all the chains.)

Oh, and here's why your shoe sales analogy is lame. Not that I expect you to respond and say "You're right, my analogy was lame" because you probably thought it made sense at the time.


Then the employee proceeded to convince the kid that there was "no way" he could play the game without the strategy guide.


Would you stop buying shoes at a store if they told you you get a discount on socks with those shoes? You do need them and they are real nice socks.

If a shoe salesman told me I could get a discount on socks for buying the shoes, that's fine.

If he told me "you can't wear these shoes without buying these socks", that *would* be a deal breaker and that would be the last place I'd go to shop for shoes again.

This game seller actually said "there is no way you can play this game without the guide, look how big this guide is. It's huge! You *need* it to play the game."

You see the difference between what the game seller said with what your hypothetical shoe salesman said? Of course you do!

Anyway, my main point was I've heard this Strat Guide assertion at Gamestop and EB, so one buying the other really doesn't change my desire to avoid both of those chains. Not because they are "evil" but because they annoy me.

[goatdan]

When Gamestop goes under, which it will, it's assets will be liquidated by being divided up into massive lots and sold on the auction block. Just the same as when any company tanks. A LOT of that stock will filter through eBay, just as it did when 3DO folded, just as it did when Akklaim went under.

If GameStop (Barnes & Noble) goes under, which I doubt in the near term, it would be handled the way that any other retail store is handled. Chances are everything would start off at a certain percentage off and go down from there as things sold until everything was gone.

3DO and Acclaim were not retail outlets. They couldn't just put a sign out front that said "Going out of business!" because that isn't how you close that type of business.

A lot of the stock from GameStop then could filter through eBay or where ever, but it would be coming from people that purchased things at the individual stores, not from someone that bought a full stock of a GameStop at auction prices.

[bargora]

Not that I expect you to respond and say "You're right, my analogy was lame" because you probably thought it made sense at the time.
I don't think I have ever seen anybody admit on an internet forum that their analogy/logic/reasoning was lame, no matter how lame it actually was.

[mezrabad]

Not that I expect you to respond and say "You're right, my analogy was lame" because you probably thought it made sense at the time.
I don't think I have ever seen anybody admit on an internet forum that their analogy/logic/reasoning was lame, no matter how lame it actually was.

Heh. You're absolutely right. What's up with that?

[josekortez]

"I too would wear that t-shirt!" (I just said it aloud in the voice of Pip from South Park.)

[Griking]

My only problem with this is that EB would carry used PC games and audio CDs while Gamestop didn't. Otherwise it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

[Griking]

[quote=mezrabad]
The other day I was having an "okay" conversation with a Game Crazy employee, about gaming in general. (they've stopped taking Saturn trade-ins by the way) We cut our conversation short so he could help a customer. It was a 13 year old kid whose mother was there to help him buy GTA San Andreas. In less than 30 seconds the kid went from buying a new copy of the game to being shuffled into buying a used copy (no case, with manual). The reason given by the employee was "to save you some money". Then the employee proceeded to convince the kid that there was "no way" he could play the game without the strategy guide. The kid then lost his "used game" savings by buying the strategy guide. He really had no idea he was being sucked in and processed by the retail combine.


This didn't sound like a bad deal to me. For a kid who only wants to play the game it sounds to me like he got the game AND guide for the same amount he was prepared to spend for just the game moments earlier. What annoys me is if they can't take no for an answer.

[Aussie2B]

I really can't imagine that everything will stay as-is. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see EB as having as much name recognition as GameStop does. I've seen game stores change names so many times without missing a beat that I predict all EBs will be changed to GameStops, be it possibly in name-only, as soon as it can be arranged. And in cases where there are two very close by, I expect one to disappear. There's no point having two game stores, both owned by the same company, in the same indoor mall/strip mall/etc.

[mezrabad]

The kid then lost his "used game" savings by buying the strategy guide. He really had no idea he was being sucked in and processed by the retail combine.

This didn't sound like a bad deal to me. For a kid who only wants to play the game it sounds to me like he got the game AND guide for the same amount he was prepared to spend for just the game moments earlier. What annoys me is if they can't take no for an answer.

No, the difference between new and used was about $5 bucks so he ended up spending about $10 to $15 dollars more than he would have if he'd just bought the new game.

[Tony Montana]

Not that I expect you to respond and say "You're right, my analogy was lame" because you probably thought it made sense at the time.
I don't think I have ever seen anybody admit on an internet forum that their analogy/logic/reasoning was lame, no matter how lame it actually was.

Heh. You're absolutely right. What's up with that?

Well I wont say it was lame, I'll say it was incomplete. I'll throw in the fact that a shoe salesman says you have to have these socks to take advantage of these shoes. I dont think it matters. When I go to a store I know first and foremost the guy working there is there to sell me something. Its completely up to me whether or not I let him do that or rather I choose to buy something.


It's not them, it's me. Hell, It bothers me when they ask if they can "help me find anything" more than twice in a ten minute period. I know they have to run a business, but it bothers me to see/hear people taken advantage of. I'm better off just not going in at all and instead finding the game on ebay or even through online retail.

If that was actually your point then I have no beef with it. I would much rather shop online for stuff, but I also realize the people in stores get paid to annoy me to buy stiff and the company actually makes money of that so its not going to stop. By the way, people getting taken advantage of doesnt bother me at all, I find it amusing:
"What you want a strat guide for Madden? Sure, here ya go dumbass."

Evolution will eventually kill them off.

[AFGiant]

NO, I DO NOT NEED TO RESERVE ANYTHING.
NO, I DO NOT WANT A SUBSCRIPTION TO YOUR STUPID MAGAZINE.
NO, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING MY GAMES.

NOW LEAVE ME ALONE.



No shirt for me, but maybe a cardboard sign that hangs around my neck LOL

[The Manimal]

I guess this means no more NES/SNES/GENESIS/DREAMCAST stuff....

[josekortez]

When I purchased 2 current gen games for $8 a piece new yesterday at EB B&M (1080 Avalanche (GC) and Manhunt (XB)), I swear a tear welled up in my eye.

Also, they had Deus Ex 2 (XB), XIII (XB), Primal (PS2), Mega Man Network Transmission (GC), and Mafia (XB) for those prices.

Better get them while the getting's good.

[Big Papa Husker]

I just got back from my local EB and apparently they have been told that other than the name change, not much will change. He said that some Gamestop stuff will go into the EBs and EB stuff will go into the Gamestops. When I asked about the classic games he said that it would be really dumb if they were getting rid of them. He thinks that other than a few changes, the EBs will be the same as they are now.

[Zadoc]

When Gamestop goes under, which it will, it's assets will be liquidated by being divided up into massive lots and sold on the auction block. Just the same as when any company tanks. A LOT of that stock will filter through eBay, just as it did when 3DO folded, just as it did when Akklaim went under.

If GameStop (Barnes & Noble) goes under, which I doubt in the near term, it would be handled the way that any other retail store is handled. Chances are everything would start off at a certain percentage off and go down from there as things sold until everything was gone.

3DO and Acclaim were not retail outlets. They couldn't just put a sign out front that said "Going out of business!" because that isn't how you close that type of business.

A lot of the stock from GameStop then could filter through eBay or where ever, but it would be coming from people that purchased things at the individual stores, not from someone that bought a full stock of a GameStop at auction prices.

First of all, Gamestop is no longer a wholey owned subsidary of Barns & Nobel. Secondly, I give them five years before they are forced into a Chapter 11. Thirdly, no fucking shit, dumbass.

[vintagegamecrazy]

First: why are all of you complaining? GS and EB haven't had any retro stuff in at least a year, just some minimal crap leftover which I picked over long ago,

Second: This really means nothing to me at all, both chains had no selection either old way, and they were getting shallower by the day. They had a low selection of even new stuff every time I went in there, Both buy disc games with out cases (a big no no in my book) and they were buying them when some were in poor shape too, when GS was funco they turned down so many of my sales because games weren't in A1 shape, they have went downhill according to me.

GameStop plus: Overall good customer service experience, and conversable employees, always can make good conversations.

Rant: I was talking to a employee, just before they stopped buying nes games and he said there was such a market for classics but they admitted that their corporate was ignorant and dumb for saying that that is a dead and unprofitable market, Wow are they dumb.

Mega Rant: The same employee told me that they were forced to destroy their games that were deemed useless and worthless, he then told me that they were forced to destroy, any Solar Jetmans and even FORCED TO DESTROY A FEW MERMAIDS OF ATLANTIS GAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE DEEMED WORTHLESS. I was taken aback and forced to mourn in silence for a while with that statement. :angry: :angry: :( :( :(

EB Plus: Cleaner store.

EB Rant: I was starting to build up a liking for EB and would go in and talk to this girl and she was so nice and friendly and would help me find the deals in the store and apply the best discounts, I found some great stuff with her help. A few weeks ago I tried to go in there I was tired and bored from a long day of work and just wanted to look around, I got up to the door at 7PM and they close at 8, some jerk employee walked up to the locked door and said what do you want I said I wanted to look around and he said " were closed, is there something specific that you are looking for?" I said that I wanted to look around, he said no go away were closed it's 8 o'clock. I told him your not closed why does my cell phone set to national time, my watch and my car clock all say it's 7 o'clock? He wouldn't answer me and walked away from the door. YOU'RE A LOSER AND A JERK, DUMB EMPLOYEE. a week or so later I had a genesis 2 that I wanted to sell and needed an rf switch for it, I couldn't find one anywhere so I swollowed my anger and checked EB, I was looking around and asked the manager (who wouldn't even say hi or even aknowledge me) if they had any leftover accessories for old systems? She said no we don't carry anything at all anymore and kept telling me they didn't have it every minute or two after, as if she didn't want me around. I browsed for a few minutes and was going to leave and towards the front on and display in the middle was a whole peg wall full of old 16 bit and NES accessories (come on a whole wall) and there was my RF switch, I wouldn't pay 7.99 for it. I left pretty disgusted by the customer service. COME ON MGR YOU HAD A WHOLE WALL OF STUFF AND YOU SAY YOU DON'T CARRY IT. I don't think I will shop at EB for a long while again.

Like I said I don't care either way, I have plenty of other stores in my area, the music recyclery's prices are going down, and selction is going up, GameCrazy, A resale shop called Trader Jon's, who has layaway and will work with me on prices, and Sean Kelly's store Video Games Etc. is only about 45 minutes away, and Goodwill never fails to produce great games in my area. Needless to say, I don't need GS of EB games.

[esquire]

I think it may be time to have shirts printed that say:

NO, I DO NOT NEED TO RESERVE ANYTHING.
NO, I DO NOT WANT A SUBSCRIPTION TO YOUR STUPID MAGAZINE.
NO, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING MY GAMES.

NOW LEAVE ME ALONE.

LOL

You may want to add this one as well, especially if Gamestop adopts EB's program:

NO I DON'T WANT TO PURCHASE A WARRANTY ON MY GAME

I would like to have a similar T-Shirt made for Best Buy

NO I DON'T WANT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY
NO I DON'T WANT YOUR "FREE" MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
NO I DON'T MSN/NETFLIX/GAMEFLY OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU ARE TRYING TO SELL ME BESIDES WHAT I BROUGHT TO THE REGISTER DAMMIT!

I would definitely buy and wear either one.

[Tony Montana]

Secondly, I give them five years before they are forced into a Chapter 11.

Haha, you're funnier than the other guy.


Mega Rant: The same employee told me that they were forced to destroy their games that were deemed useless and worthless, he then told me that they were forced to destroy, any Solar Jetmans and even FORCED TO DESTROY A FEW MERMAIDS OF ATLANTIS GAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE DEEMED WORTHLESS. I was taken aback and forced to mourn in silence for a while with that statement.


I think you may have either misunderstood him or he wasnt sure what he was talking about. The only time I've ever seen GS throw away games were some really old garbage computer games. Even when they go down to absolutely nothing GS usually keeps them to sell. Havent thrown out all the retro stuff leftover yet. The only time that would happen is if somone returned one and said it didnt work, then its throw out cuz its not worth sending back to try to fix.

[Zadoc]

Secondly, I give them five years before they are forced into a Chapter 11.

Haha, you're funnier than the other guy.


I don't know how well you know how Gamestop corporate works, but they are self canabalizing themselves. They have stores within only a few miles of eachother, and they take away their own custamer base. Moreover, they encourage their own stores to compete with eachother, which leads to higher operating costs, lower operating budgets, and less custamers per store.

Gamestop is going to continue on this path until they are in a financial crisis which will force them to reevaluate their policies, perceptions, and separate themselves from their status quo. They will end up in chapter 11. I don't think that they will go out of bussiness, but I predict that they will be forced to close stores and liquidate assets.

[Dangerboy]

Sadly EB was starting that same practice...there are several areas in Illinois where you have 4 stores (2 of each) within a block of each other. Usually one inside a mall, one outside.

And as for the warranty on games, that's probably the one smart thing anyone has thought of out of all the other useless shit (magazines, 'discount' cards, etc). I've had a quite a few regular GPG customers, mostly parents with young kids.

We also had a LOT of GTA: San Andreas come back with like, a dust speck on them that would not play. Boom bada bing, new game for ya.

And before anyone rants, they have to ask it to every customer, every time. Rules are rules.

If you wanna wear a T-Shirt, wear it while talking to a CEO or something.

Maybe they'll get an idea'r.

[FantasiaWHT]

Zadoc, I'm curious as to how having stores compete with each other would lead to higher operating costs?

Frankly, competing with the other stores in my district gives us incentive to keep our operating costs (namely wages) down.

[FantasiaWHT]

First: why are all of you complaining? GS and EB haven't had any retro stuff in at least a year, just some minimal crap leftover which I picked over long ago,

Our EB's still have quite a few retro games.


Both buy disc games with out cases (a big no no in my book) and they were buying them when some were in poor shape too,

Why not? If it comes down to the last copy of that game a customer wants being a loose disc or not having it at all... NOT a hard decision for a company to make. As for quality... who cares if they don't work? The customer brings them back, we replace it, and the bad disc gets sent to a warehouse and most likely resurfaced to working condition.


Rant: I was talking to a employee, just before they stopped buying nes games and he said there was such a market for classics but they admitted that their corporate was ignorant and dumb for saying that that is a dead and unprofitable market, Wow are they dumb.

I'm always fascinated by how the average internet schmo thinks they can gauge the strength of a market, and that the actual industry itself, which has access to ACTUAL NUMBERS, is ignorant and dumb. Cause, see, if my company told me that after running the numbers, that we were spending too much money buying certain items and not selling enough of them to justify the amount of floor space being taken up by said items, frankly I'd believe them over you. If there is "such a market" out there, why aren't they buying these games?


Mega Rant: The same employee told me that they were forced to destroy their games that were deemed useless and worthless, he then told me that they were forced to destroy, any Solar Jetmans and even FORCED TO DESTROY A FEW MERMAIDS OF ATLANTIS GAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE DEEMED WORTHLESS. I was taken aback and forced to mourn in silence for a while with that statement. :angry: :angry: :( :( :(

I'm positive he was exagerating which games, but that's standard policy in the industry. Games take up space, so if nobody wants them, why keep them? The same goes for stratetgy guides, where most of the "field destroying" as it's called, takes place.

[mezrabad]

"What you want a strat guide for Madden? Sure, here ya go dumbass."

Evolution will eventually kill them off.

LOL We can only hope!

[mezrabad]

. . . standard policy in the industry. Games take up space, so if nobody wants them, why keep them? The same goes for stratetgy guides, where most of the "field destruction" as it's called, takes place.

This is another example of something I can understand happening "in the industry" but you can certainly understand why its bothersome from a collector's point of view. From a practical standpoint, however, this field destruction has been happening a long time. My parents threw away my old Atari and all its carts. Their ignorance was no less than that of your corporation.

"They (GS/EB/GCzy)" buy this stuff from customers. This stuff doesn't sell "from their store" therefore, stuff is deemed worthless (to them) and suffers "field destruction". The problem may not be the stuff but how and where they are trying to sell them. Wouldn't it make sense to try to sell the stuff to someone who specializes in selling "old games" rather than destroying them? At least they'd get a percentage of their cost back.

I mean, what my parents should have done before they tossed my old Atari was try to sell it in a garage sale, but they had no idea what it and some of its cartridges were worth, so they tossed it instead.

Does that make sense? "We have something here that might be worth something to somebody, but we don't know what so we'll throw it out and gain NOTHING from it." Except EB/GB says "Better yet, we'll smash it/shred it so no one can ever use it AGAIN!"

Where's the profit in that? Anyway, regardless of the reasons you give and regardless of the reasons my ignorant consumer level mind can think of, it's an emotional issue for me and it can't be for a corporation. I *get* that, I just think they are being short-sighted by not sifting through that stuff and saving what's rare.

[legov8]

I hope the used game prices at EB don't change, they're the cheapest.

[Promophile]

great. Watch out next for the Walmart / GS merger.