The North American company clarifies that it will stop the sale of second-hand games to avoid the spread of the pandemic.
As the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across countries, governments take steps to try to alleviate the situation. Meanwhile, the GameStop store, which no longer has stores in Spain, has explained to its employees that it does not plan to close even if the state declares quarantine and the confinement of citizens. As they defend, they are "an essential retail trade", like other basic necessities such as supermarkets or pharmacies. This information has been revealed by Kotaku, who shares the content of an internal letter addressed to its employees.
"Since the products we offer enable and enhance the experience for our consumers when working from home, we believe that GameStop is classified as an essential retail business, so it is enabled to remain open during this period," they comment in the missive. "We have received news that local authorities are visiting stores in an attempt to force their closure despite our classification. Store managers are approved to provide the document that we attach to the police if necessary. ”
The document asks police officers to call GameStop headquarters if they have any kind of problem with those policies. However, the North American company has pointed out a posteriori that it will reduce opening hours, postpone events and suspend second-hand sales until March 29.
We are working diligently during this unprecedented time to provide our customers & associates with the safest environment possible. Please see below for details on new changes we are enacting & click here for our full statement: https://t.co/qP9jDQUmjs pic.twitter.com/d99kxviz7Q
– GameStop (@GameStop) March 19, 2020
New measures in stores
"We are working diligently during this unprecedented stage in order to provide our consumers and associates with the healthiest environment possible." Among the measures, highlights the fact that they will try to grow sales through their online store instead of their physical stores. They also propose encouraging the safety distance between people, as well as controlling the capacity (maximum 10 people).
GameStop recently announced the addition of Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former president of Nintendo of America, as part of the company's board of directors. The company also owns one of the best-known physical magazines in the United States, Game Informer, which fired many of its staff months ago.
Source | Kotaku
