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Gamestop shutting down all stores in Scandinavia

Deleted member 4262

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,633
Kinda bummed about this. I know they suck and all, but I like going there for used/older games.

EDIT: This is for Scandinavia/Nordic countries, including Finland.

The Swedish website Computer Sweden says that Gamestop plans to close down all operations in the Nordic region. Here in Norway, this means that the 28 stores scattered across Norway will be closed down. The plan is to close the stores over the next year. All employees must have been notified that operations are being discontinued. The news comes after a very bad period for Gamestop. In its latest quarterly report, the company reported a profit of minus $ 415.3 million, which is now getting results. Sales of games in stores have doubled over the years, as an increasing part of the market is happening on online stores and on gaming enthusiasts' web surfaces. At the same time, larger chains such as Elkjøp and Power are experiencing increased sales of gaming products such as gaming furniture, and they have made efforts to build their own sections in stores for the product area, according to E24.
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Soap

Soap

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,159
So I visit Sweden quite a lot and they always seemed like the worst places to go for games. It seemed like they were more interested in selling merchandise than games and the stores look really run down.
 
NotLiquid

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,745
Unexpected but not surprising. Gamestop, in Sweden at least, has been a bottom tier retailer for years now; they've price-gouged full-retail releases by large margins when you can find virtually any other retailer on the market that matches actual expected retail pricing, and they've had a terrible user ratings on price aggregators for ages now. When Astral Chain was sold out nation-wide in Sweden, it was in every retailer except GameStop because they charged it for 100 sek more.

The only thing I'm gonna miss them for is the fact that occasionally they had some niche games that not all retailers stocked up on, but you can basically buy those online. Also I'm pretty sure they're the only retailer we have left that sells preowned games.
 
Nakenorm

Nakenorm

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
22,262
Soap said:
So I visit Sweden quite a lot and they always seemed like the worst places to go for games. It seemed like they were more interested in selling merchandise than games and the stores look really run down.
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Yeah they've been going downhill for a while now. Sucks that some people I know will be without a job but can't say that it comes as a surprise.
 
Minamu

Minamu

Member
Nov 18, 2017
1,899
Sweden
They've had the shittiest game prices since forever, I'm surprised they didn't go under a long time ago. Gamestop has consistently been the absolutely worst store in Sweden to buy games from in terms of prices for more than a decade.
 
OneThirtyEight

OneThirtyEight

Avenger
Oct 28, 2017
5,648
I have not bought a game at my local gamestop in YEARS. And i hate the store. It's 90% minecraft t-shirts and the other 10 are games. When i buy a game in a physical store it's at an electonics chain. They have more games than gamestop and sell the games for cheaper.
 
Kudo

Kudo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,866
Ping me if they're gonna do any sales or something. Shame people are gonna lose their jobs but this is for the better, GameStop in here Scandinavia sucks ass and I cannot put enough emphasis on that.
They charge 10-20€ premium, no online shipping for most items.
 
cowbanana

cowbanana

Member
Feb 2, 2018
13,657
a Socialist Utopia
I haven't set foot in a GameStop for over a decade. I'm surprised that they lasted this long in Scandinavia. Their stores are shit and the prices are only good for cheap laughs.

Buying physical games online from Coolshop, Elgiganten etc. with free next day delivery has been the way to go for years and years. Much cheaper than GameStop's laughable prices, a lot more convenient as well.
 
2CL4Mars

2CL4Mars

Member
Nov 9, 2018
1,709
The local store in my city has been closed for 3 or more years so nothing really changes for me. I do however feel bad for the employees but Sweden has a well developed welfare system so they will be taken care of until they find new jobs.
 
Iryx

Iryx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
151
Been a long time since I bought a game in Gamestop here in Sweden, they're usually much more expensive than other places. The main reason I visited them for was Pokemon code distributions.
 
Numb

Numb

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,246
Wow
This gamestop has been here all the time
Wonder what will replace it
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
Oct 27, 2017
21,671
USA
Soap said:
So I visit Sweden quite a lot and they always seemed like the worst places to go for games. It seemed like they were more interested in selling merchandise than games and the stores look really run down.
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This sounds like the stores in the United States. Happy to see they're so consistent.
 
Hamster Plugin

Hamster Plugin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,840
It's not a big surprise. Their website for Finland looks terrible so there's not much advertising for their store. When you go in, the prices are ridiculous. They're the only store that charges €70 for a game (in addition to the console digital stores), you can get new releases for €60 pretty much anywhere else.
 
BebopCola

BebopCola

Member
Jul 17, 2019
2,034
I don't really follow Gamestop's fortunes, but I have been seeing headlines about their decline popping up with increased frequency. But now I'm starting to wonder how soon it is until the private equity firms start circling.
 
OP
OP

Deleted member 4262

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
3,633
Rynam said:
When People say Scandinavia in a majority of cases they just mean the whole Nordics including the whole of Finland.
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Yep, this is true. Sorry for the confusion y'all.

MikeHattsu said:
FunkoStop
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Lol. I don't know when these changes happened but they have entire shelves just for funkopops nowdays, and with the stores being so tiny that leaves very little space for actual games. It's sad.

My local store still sells used DS games which is the only reason I go there.
 
Bomi-Chan

Bomi-Chan

Member
Nov 8, 2017
665
the only time i bought something from gamestop was when they had this exchange offer for the xbox 360=
give your old 360 and get a new slim with a shooter game and 250gb for around 100€.

wont miss such a shit shop.
 
Chiramii

Chiramii

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,665
Norway
I don't know if this goes for all Gamestop stores worldwide, but every norwegian and swedish Gamestop I've been to has been filled to the brim with merchandise and overpriced games. In other words, this is not a huge loss.
 
machinaea

machinaea

Game Producer
Verified
Oct 29, 2017
221
Melchiah said:
Unfortunately, they're not located in Helsinki, and I don't trust the post office to deliver games to me on the release date. It's sad, that nowadays Verkkokauppa is the only place in Helsinki to buy special editions. Unless someone knows another store, that I'm not aware of.
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Not sure if they order much stock in terms of special editions, but it does come to mind that they could fit the description: https://www.konsolinet.fi/
 
Zero83

Zero83

Member
Oct 29, 2017
573
Oslo
Gamestop was always expensive in Norway. I don't know where to buy games anymore. Luckily, there's still a few Platekompaniet left, in Oslo at least. And Elkjøp, but their gaming selection is pretty bad. Lots of merchandise.
There's always online stores, but they use PostNord for delivery and they have never been able to locate my apartment and every single thing I've ordered has vanished somewhere. I can't order online if PostNord is handling the delivery.
 
The Bear

The Bear

Forest Animal
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
4,194
I used my gamestop funds today on lots of games just in case - it's not like I had been using their stores much anyway, so this was the wake up call on that (Finland).
 
Kehaan

Kehaan

Member
Feb 27, 2019
80
Danmark
I use GameStop a lot here in denmark... Sooo i have a lot of collectors editions preorders at them xD This will be rather expensive for me now, as i need to find the ones i have pre-ordered at other places, moooost likely on eBay, ouch.
Hopefully i will be able to keep the preorders i have, and also be able to get them without them closing instantly. Buuut yea, i won't be preordering from them anymore until more is info is out.

I need to go and grab a preorder of Death Stranding collectors next week (hopefully). And i have a pretty good relationship with the manager.. soooo will ask him if he know something about it, if nothing official have been out since than.
 

Deleted member 45414

Banned
Jun 26, 2018
3,829
Kehaan said:
I use GameStop a lot here in denmark... Sooo i have a lot of collectors editions preorders at them xD This will be rather expensive for me now, as i need to find the ones i have pre-ordered at other places, moooost likely on eBay, ouch.
Hopefully i will be able to keep the preorders i have, and also be able to get them without them closing instantly. Buuut yea, i won't be preordering from them anymore until more is info is out.

I need to go and grab a preorder of Death Stranding collectors next week (hopefully). And i have a pretty good relationship with the manager.. soooo will ask him if he know something about it, if nothing official have been out since than.
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Isn't GameStop like way overpriced compared to other outlets in Denmark? That's usually been my experience, so I've stuck to Elgiganten, before I went full digital.
 
Kehaan

Kehaan

Member
Feb 27, 2019
80
Danmark
MechaBreaker said:
Isn't GameStop like way overpriced compared to other outlets in Denmark? That's usually been my experience, so I've stuck to Elgiganten, before I went full digital.
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Yea, GameStop is overpriced, but i have just always enjoyed their store. And the people working there, have just made it a nice place to be.
However i only have brought collectors editions at GameStop. Normal versions i just order from Coolshop or Elgiganten :) Buuuut now i guess i will just buy collectors from Elgiganten as they mostly have those kind of editions. As coolshop in my experience usually don't. Also i just like physical stores for the bigger versions of the games.
 
Kehaan

Kehaan

Member
Feb 27, 2019
80
Danmark
Just returned from Gamestop (Death Stranding Collectors edition purchase) and I asked the danish manager that I have know since I was very little. And he confirmed that they are closing down in Denmark too. We will get more official info soon about it. But he said I would be getting my preorders in may next year. So seems like they will be closing down slowly.
He said that GameStop in Denmark even made money, so sad to see them close down. He also said that what had hit them the hardest was the streaming services.
 
Paertan

Paertan

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,383
Hopefully this will make it possible for something else to fill the gap left by Gamestop. Boardgames are really on the rise here so a combo of Videogames and Boardgames maybe? Norrköping in Sweden have Spel Och Sånt for example. Will be hard to compete with major chains and their prices though I guess.
 
Bioshocker

Bioshocker

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,200
Sweden
It's expected but I still think it's sad. I've supported my local GameStop quite a bit this year, buying a Wii U and maybe 15 games or so from them. Used as well as new. I like the idea of going into a game store and looking through the games there. Admittedly I am partly to blame for their demise since I buy most of my games online. But a €15 price difference on almost every new AAA game is simply too much.

I hope that someone else can fill the gap so that I don't have to turn to Ebay every time I'm looking for older games. There's basically nowhere else to buy them in Sweden.
 
Strafer

Strafer

The Flagpole is Wider
Member
Oct 25, 2017
29,355
Sweden
För i helvete!

Well RIP Gamestop Uppsala then.

:(

First tevespeloteket and now Gamestop.

My childhood is dying.
 
Fudgepuppy

Fudgepuppy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,270
I'm Swedish, and the only game store in my hometown, closed like 8 years ago (Game).

The shitty part is that I knew the owners, and they told us that they were one of the few successful stores in all of scandinavia, but they still had to shut down. They thought about ditching the franchise and just re-opening with a different name, but it was too much of a hassle.

I was in Stockholm last week, and couldn't find any proper gamestores. Your only options are the big electronic retailers, and they have a pretty limited selection.

Shit sucks, but I didn't really notice when it happened as I had gone full PC.
 
Genetrik

Genetrik

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,726
Man I need to check back with the Finnish stores here but I guess I can forget about my plan to use my old store credit for the PS5....
 
Abudiix

Abudiix

Member
Sep 8, 2018
1,111
Malmö, Sweden
Shame, I love visiting GameStop's here in Malmö Sweden from time to time. But I understand why they are closing down. The prices sucks and are super high compared to other stores
Any idea what they usually do when people have money in their accounts ? I have like 3000kr in my account saved up for PS5 and I don't want to be forced to buy things with that money. I would rather take it and put it on another PS5 order
 

AlwaysSalty

The Fallen
Nov 12, 2017
1,442
You can get used games online too, so nothing of value was last. GameStop is a garbage company, it needs to die worldwide.
 
Tailzo

Tailzo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,912
Zero83 said:
Gamestop was always expensive in Norway. I don't know where to buy games anymore. Luckily, there's still a few Platekompaniet left, in Oslo at least. And Elkjøp, but their gaming selection is pretty bad. Lots of merchandise.
There's always online stores, but they use PostNord for delivery and they have never been able to locate my apartment and every single thing I've ordered has vanished somewhere. I can't order online if PostNord is handling the delivery.
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PostNord failed 1 of 2 deliveries to my home last week. While Posten and Helthjem delivered several packages without a problem. Online stores like coolshop and cdon has good enough selection for me. But I wish the 350 NOK import limit fee wasn't changed. I'm used to importing quite a few japanese version switch games like Okami, I am Setsuna, Sushi Striker, ect.
 
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