ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Brick and mortar stores have been under pressure for some time, and it’s not letting up.
GameStop, the biggest video game retailer in the world, announced Thursday that it will close up to 200 stores by the end of the year.
It is not great news for people like Robert Thomas.
“I like going to the store because I get to see all options and even when I go to the store I might see something I won’t see online,” Thomas said.
Currently there are 5,700 GameStop stores across the globe, but they’re struggling because video games can now be purchased or even directly downloaded online.
Kenneth Davis, manager of The Video Game Store on Hamilton Street, thinks focusing mainly on new games is hurting GameStop.
“Pennsylvania in general, Allentown in general, has a huge retro gaming community,” Davis said.
Although it will probably drive more business to Davis’s store, he isn’t happy to see them closing.
The closures are part of GameStop’s plan to cut costs to turn the company around. It’s still unclear which stores are closing.
“I would have to order online and I don’t want to,” Thomas said. “There’s no help online.”
The company says to expect even more closures in the future.
