GameStop sees its future in mobile and Apple stores

Video game retailer GameStop has revealed a new strategy that will see it shutter dozens of gaming retail stores while simultaneously opening hundreds of new stores dedicated to Apple and smartphone/tablet sales, according to GI.biz. The news came from GameStop CEO Paul Raines, who dubbed the new plan "GameStop 3.0."

At GameStop's annual Investor Day, Raines announced plans to close around 120 to 130 of the 6,457 gaming retail locations worldwide, throughout the current fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2013, GameStop recorded total global sales of $9.04 billion, up 1.7-percent from 2012. That was partly fueled by the successful launches of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which increased new video game hardware sales by 29.7-percent over the previous year, but mobile also saw a huge increase.

GameStop began selling digital and mobile products three years ago, and in 2013 both product types combined to surpass $1 billion in revenue. With that success in the books, it's planning to further expand in that direction, and the company has plans on opening hundreds of new, non-gaming specific stores around the world, beginning in the United States.

After purchasing the AT&T wireless retailer Spring Mobile and its 150+ stores in November 2013, GameStop now plans to open between 200 and 250 new Spring Mobile locations around the United States throughout the current fiscal year. GameStop also currently operates 31 Cricket stores around the country, and is looking to add 100 to 150 new locations. According to Raines, GameStop is already the third largest – and fastest growing – AT&T retailer in the country.

GameStop will also increase its presence in the Apple retail world. The company currently operates 23 Simply Mac retail stores in the U.S. that specialize in selling, repairing, and training for all things Apple. Within the next year, GameStop will open another 20-25 stores nationally.

Paul Raines says that he and GameStop's executives are looking to companies like kitchen equipment retailer Williams-Sonoma and underwear maker VF Corporation. Both organizations expanded beyond their original market and purchased companies operating in unrelated fields, extending their interests far beyond their original footprint.

We reached out to GameStop for comment, but did not hear back as of the time of this article's publication.
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