GAMESTOP’S APPLE-POLISHING STRATEGY 
Strip-center mainstay GameStop has a new strategy to keep itself from going the way of video-game cartridges: changing its business in the direction of another strip-center mainstay: the mobile phone store. The company began a program of buying used iPhones last fall; it’s now ready to remake itself as a leading reseller of used Apple gadgets. Company employees are working on coming up to speed on repairing Android devices as well. Seventy-one of the Texas chain’s 6,600 locations are in the greater Houston area. Sixty stores around the country have already begun selling prepaid wireless plans; an analyst suggests selling phone plans to go with used phones could become a big new business for the chain. [SF Chronicle] Photo of GameStop Outlet at Westheimer and Hwy. 6: Dr. Mario Kart
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many retailers have gone after gamestops business in major ways. you can usually do much better trading in games at best buy or amazon and of course gamestop can’t match any of the heavy discounts that many retailers like best buy, newegg and amazon offer on new and old releases. better access to purchase and download games online won’t help them out either.
they certainly need to diversify their business if they plan on sticking around for much longer.
Considering the video game industry is speeding it’s way to a download only form, Gamestop’s demise was already written on the wall.
this is a go-to strategy these days. go by a radio shack store now, it’s first and foremost a cell phone store.
it’s like restaurants…let’s all serve buffalo wings (kfc, little caesars, cici’s pizza) to keep pushing…
the cell phone business must be a money printing operation. i’m a typical customer – i get a cell phone update/replace every 2-3 years, i just renew and extend my contract with att to get the discount, and move on with my life to return back when i need more updates.
there must be something to it where they are getting a shorter buying cycle from people, and i’m just a-typical.
I dont know if they’ll make it long term but props to the company for trying to change things up and stay relevant. At least they’re not putting their head in the sand as the industry passes them by.
@htx rez: So are you “a typical” or “atypical”? You seem to be claiming both in the same comment.
He’s the typical atypical person. :)