[quote name='joshrocker']I guess this is common practice for them. I can't see how it's profitable but it must be if they've used this strategy for so long and in so many locations. .[/QUOTE]
Not in every case, but most of them, a lease is involved which forces GS to operate in multiple locations in the same mall.
For example, inside the mall near me, there are 2 GS stores very close to each other. Many of these GS stores were once EB stores when they were separate companies. So, if the EB store signed a 7 year lease in 2005, GS still has to pay that lease thru 2012, even though GS already has another store in the mall. I'm sure GS would prefer to only have one store and one lease, but legally they inherited the EB lease, and have to honor it (BK is the only way out). GS will just keep 2 stores until 2012, then dump the 2nd space once the lease expires.
Again, not the reason everytime, but that's a common reason you see 2 GS stores in the same mall all over the place.