GameStop's fall from grace has been widely documented in recent times, with jobs cut at gaming publication Game Informer and falling profits during the 2019 holiday season. Now, as a result, employees are being negatively affected at GameStop's remaining retail stores.
In multiple interviews conducted by Polygon, various employees, past and present, were honest about the state of what it's like to be employed at GameStop retail locations.
The interviews often consisted of discussions regarding scripts employees have to follow in order to make sales on gaming and non-gaming items. Further, there is now an increased focus on sales targets amid a market that is rapidly turning toward digital purchases, rather than physical ones.
Polygon stated that every employee spoken to was concerned about the future of the company and said that the past year has seen a notable drop in customer attendance.
A store manager who has spent years with the company stated that he had noticed GameStop's newfound "desperation" for more sales and revenue. This is part of what has led to the reported toxic culture.
An assistant manager expressed that the company has descended into relative disorder and "is frantic and distrustful."
Another store manager predicted that GameStop will close a thousand stores in 2020. The manager brought up that sales are falling and costs need to be cut, as such. A different manager stated that their store, which is a profitable location, fails to hit its sales targets daily besides the usual "high-traffic" days that include Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and release days for big games.
This news is highly unfortunate but doesn't come as too much of a surprise. Given the huge quantity of store closures and the general fall of GameStop reported through leaks, it makes sense for GameStop to begin exacting strict rules on its stores — as unfortunate as it may be. The fact of the matter is that digital gaming stores have been on the rise, and no matter what GameStop does it simply can't compete with the convenience of online shops.
GameStop's over-correction, however, doesn't appear to be a great answer. And it seems counter-intuitive for the company to force harsh rules upon the employees. Hopefully, GameStop will change its game plan going forward — or at least until it goes out of business.
