It was recently reported that the biggest video game retailer in the United Kingdom – GAME – is preparing to make redundancies and reduce all non-managerial employees to zero-hour contracts as financial woes continue to swarm the company. In recent years, GAME has gone from being a town centre staple to a shell of its former self, occupying backrooms and corners of Sports Direct stores across the country as the company’s owner, Frasers Group, winds back the brand’s presence across the nation.
The End Times
In a report published by Eurogamer, it was stated that staff members confirmed the news: GAME is preparing to make redundancies across the network of stores (or concessions) that still exist. There are painfully few ‘real’ stores left, but just a few years ago, GAME was the number one spot to go to buy new games, consoles, and accessories in the United Kingdom.
Per Eurogamer (and the sources close to the situation), non-managerial employees will be put on zero-hour contracts, which means they’re effectively guaranteed nothing in the way of work – and it’s a ‘like it or lump it’ situation.
It has been said that the change is ‘unexpected’, but GAME has been approaching a precipice for a while. In 2012, the company went into administration, with some publishers refusing to issue stock to the retailer. Within a few months, the likes of Activision, Electronic Arts, and Microsoft had all ceased issuing stock to GAME and it was suspended from the London Stock Exchange.
Like other, similar retailers in the United Kingdom, it’s expected that GAME will soon become an online-only retailer as competition looms and lower footfall is recorded across the country. Recently, GAME’s operating model changed dramatically when the company announced it would be ceasing sales on pre-owned items, which had been a staple of the firm for many years.
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