GameStop, once applauded for giving employees time off on Thanksgiving, is reversing this decision for 2017. However, it still seems the stores will not be open for the full day.
“To better serve our guests with their evolving holiday shopping needs, this year GameStop will open its stores for a shortened and limited time on Thanksgiving Day,” the company told Kotaku in a statement about the decision. “Many of our store associates and guests have asked for this. We have heard their requests and are making an adjustment to our previous position on this topic.”
This is a strong departure from 2015, when the company seemed to respect its employees and their families more.
“We believe strongly that our customers and associates should have the opportunity to spend the Thanksgiving holiday relaxing with family and friends, and not worrying with the stress of where to find the best shopping deals," GameStop Executive Vice President Mike Buskey said in a statement two years ago. "We know this is in stark contrast to what many other retailers are doing, but we are taking a stance to protect family time during this important holiday."
GameStop was also closed on Thanksgiving 2016, however, it has always been an option to shop on GameStop’s website even when the stores were closed.
So what has changed over the last year to make GameStop stay open? Probably the drop in value for the company’s stock. As more and more gamers go digital-only with purchases, GameStop has seen a drop in sales. This has caused the company to look into other areas like collectibles and board games to pick up the video game slack.
While it wasn’t confirmed in the statement, it’s likely GameStop will also be open on Black Friday, complete with its own big Black Friday sales. GameStop locations have been open on Black Friday in recent years, even when the stores were closed for Thanksgiving.
So what do you think? Are you bummed to see GameStop stay open this Thanksgiving? Will you be out there on Turkey Day doing your video game shopping? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
