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Thursday, October 15, 2015

GameStop: Putting Families First; No Work on Thanksgiving

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - Doing things differently than the competitors.

Family values. It's what I like and write about a bit. Having family values helps make people moral. And organisations that help promote family values are to be held above those who do not, because they are doing society a priceless service in a culture that is going down the drain to demonise family values at every opportunity.

So even though KoopaTV has spoken poorly-to-strangely of GameStop in the past, we're going to applaud them here for continuing their family-friendly policy of... closing their stores on Thanksgiving. Even though that can only reduce their sales revenue. They title their press release as,
"GameStop Takes a Stand! Closes Stores on Thanksgiving Day to Allow Customers and Associates to Enjoy the Holiday with Family and Friends"
They're taking a stand! We like that kind of bold attitude, so I'll only bold GameStop's name in this article, unlike their just-as-boldable-under-KoopaTV-style-guide competitors that will be OPEN during Thanksgiving Day. Which is Thursday, November 26 in 2015. (Unless you're in Canada, then it was Monday, October 12. Yup, past-tense. You just missed it.)

This picture probably violates GameStop's brand guidelines.

So GameStop will be closed the entire Thursday in all of their brick-and-mortar stores, including their acquired subsidiaries not sporting the GameStop brand name. You can still order things off their website, though it's unclear if their warehouse picking and third-party shipping services will still work as normal during Thanksgiving. And they're opening Friday morning at 5 AM for Black Friday with deals that would make a presidential candidate Trump's head spin (both Ledge and Donald). And just like a Trump, we don't know what those deals actually are yet. We just know they'll be "bigger", "better", and "the best."

Meanwhile, at least last year, major videogame-selling competitors Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target were all open at some point on Thanksgiving. So those working folks weren't able to be at home with their families. They had to be in the store working, selling to... people who don't have families, I guess. Or maybe the store is just empty. I don't really know what retail stores look like in the United States while people have Thanksgiving dinner since I've never been in one during that time. It just sounds like bad work-life balance.

If you don't have a family (and that's pretty unfortunate), then is Thanksgiving a normal day for you? Fortunately, there exist charities for the needy orphans and homeless folks that help make Thanksgiving special even for them. GameStop doesn't appear to be donating to those directly, but hey, they can't do everything, especially in an industry climate that's attacking their traditional revenue model.

If you really do need to buy new games on Thanksgiving, which you really don't because that's not how you should be spending the day, then just use your console's digital marketplace which will be open. Unless they get hacked and shut down during the holidays again.

And if you're looking for the cash to do so, then KoopaTV's Loyalty Rewards Program is the place to look, 'cause we're giving away $10 in PSN/XBL/eShop money. So there is the "giving," now say "thanks!"


KoopaTV is literally publishing its Thanksgiving article over a month early in hopes that other retailers follow suit with GameStop's leadership. KoopaTV requires its own employees to work on Thanksgiving because it's a weekday and that means something will have to be published. But it'll probably be lightweight and silly.


Here is the lightweight and silly article from Thanksgiving 2013 featuring KoopaTV's favourite birds.
KoopaTV's 2014 Thanksgiving article was a boring "what is the staff thankful for" filler article. Let's not do that again this year.
And come Thanksgiving, lo and behold, GameStop stands alone in being closed.
KoopaTV's 2016 Thanksgiving article was a boring “what Ludwig is thankful for” filler article.
Any compliments GameStop got for closing in 2015 are eroded by 2017 where they are open like the rest of them.

6 comments :

  1. "Unless you're in Canada, then it was Monday, October 12." That's why it is theorized that the Cars vs Planes Splatfest was relevant, at least to those in Canada.

    I usually avoid Gamestop because I am not fond of being pushed to preorder all the time though I know that employees are only pushing it because they have a quota to fill to either keep their job, get benefits, or both. Met some great employees though but I have other stores that I prefer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...Yeah, I prefer Best Buy.

      Still, even though the employees push that stuff on you, you gotta realise they're still humans too and they're just trying to get by and make a living. And they got their families to support.

      Delete
  2. I don't shop at GameStop often because their prices are usually much higher than Amazon's, but Game Informer (which you know I like) is their magazine, so I'm glad to see them presented in a positive light. And even more glad that they're doing something good like this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GameStop prices things at MSRP for new games, as does Amazon usually.
      They differ in used games but I've found most of the games I buy now are new. I don't remember the last used game I got, actually.

      Yeah, this is the most positive we'll ever present GameStop, I think.

      Delete
    2. I've seen used games sold at GameStop that are cheaper NEW on Amazon. Plus, Amazon has free shipping options.

      You never know. Maybe they'll surprise you by doing more good things.

      Delete
    3. I mean, I'm not going to diss Amazon because I've only had good coverage of them, I think.

      Delete

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