The company was rated an essential service, and although it was later rectified, it still maintains stores open.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to advance in the United States. Despite not offering a comprehensive solution by the Federal Government, each of the states is applying the rules they deem appropriate. As a result, not all GameStop stores had closed their doors. After much controversy, Polygon publishes that according to The Boston Globe, the city authorities ordered last Tuesday the closure of this business in Dorchester. The day after, the police came to the scene to check if they had complied.
GameStop later confirmed that it had made the decision to close across the state of Massachusetts, but they have not reported anything else about it. The truth is that the store bypassed the ban and continued to operate normally. Polygon has asked the chain why there are still stores open. It should not be forgotten that the company, which no longer has stores in Spain, still maintains some 4,000 establishments in the United States. There is still no official response.
Timeline of events
At first, GameStop flatly refused to accept the authorities' recommendations as valid. In fact, it was defined as an essential activity, on the same level as pharmacies or supermarkets. The company explained that because citizens are in confinement, entertainment is an important aspect to consider. "Since the products we offer enable and enhance our consumers' experience when working from home, we think GameStop is classified as an essential retail business, so it is empowered to remain open during this period," they said then.
However, they finally partially changed their position and announced the closure of some of their stores, as well as measures of social distancing within the establishments that were still active. In a public note, they confirmed that they would opt for the online side of the business.
Source | The Boston Globe (via Polygon)
