Wondering why people still shop brick and mortar

Ryuukishi

Ryuukishi

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I've done all of my videogame shopping on Amazon (and eBay for out of print items) for years now. Amazon's prices are commonly a few bucks below retail, plus there's no sales tax, I don't have to go anywhere and wait in line, and I don't have to worry about searching for a store that has a particular game in stock.

At this point I'm kind of surprised that stores like GameStop are even still in business. I personally see nothing but advantages to shopping online and I'm curious why so many people still buy games at brick and mortar stores.

Reasons I can think of:

- Prefer to pay in cash
- Buying used and want to see condition in person
- Absolutely can't wait for something to arrive in the mail

If you buy games at physical stores: Why? Is it for any of the above reasons, or something else?
 
Amazon has good prices, but most definitely does not have the best prices on everything. Sales and gift cards are what take me to B&M.
 
Because a lot of sales are still B&M only, and there's something about getting the game immediately (if you can find it) instead of waiting... *looks at calendar* over a week for slow ass shipping.
 
There is sales tax sometimes from online shopping. It depends on the state and where the company has locations. New York, for example, just passed a law that has to do with online sales tax. I don't know the details but I know Amazon now collects tax for NYers.

I shop at B&M because you can walk around and see different things. Might find something that you wouldn't notice online. And I like to have the product quicker, especially CDs so I can listen to them on the way home. Of course if I can save a decent amount of money online then I'll wait.
 
For the clearance sales, duh! Thats really the only thing I buy in B&M stores anymore unless its something non video game related like toiletries that I am running out of, or food.

Gamestop stays in business because a lot of people don't shop online for games, I find that when kids buy games their parents say ok we are going to gamestop to buy a game, they go there and buy it even though the gamestop price may be more than another store, its what they set out to do and they are going to do it. They also stay in business because they are really the only chain around here that takes video game trade in's (and in a lot of other areas too). In other words they prey on kids who have no other way to sell their games and poor people who are extremely desperate to get money for gasoline, food or rent. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people trading in games to pay the rent or so they can afford that tank of gas to get to and from work. Given the amount of poor people in my area gamestop is a very successful chain.
 
I've tried to check out clearance sales, but all I ever find on the racks are piles of Disney-licensed junk-- nothing close to the awesome scores that people post about here. Guess I'm just unlucky!
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']I've tried to check out clearance sales, but all I ever find on the racks are piles of Disney-licensed junk-- nothing close to the awesome scores that people post about here. Guess I'm just unlucky![/quote]

totally depends on how often you visit and what kind of stores....

I can't visit a store for months... so clearance are out of the question.

but for B&M... sales, clearance... and for Gamestop, trade-ins with bonus

i too buy online alot...... but even online, items dry up, and one is only able to find it in stores....

I purchase games if they are only b1+g1 at retail in B&M or clearence, all of my other shopping is done online.

Thank goodness to amazon prime.... saved me 100s for shipping....
 
I have to echo much of what was already said here... especially in regards to sale or clearance merchandise making up nearly 100% of my purchases for the past few years. I also have to say that for older merchandise, I greatly prefer to pick it up in person so I can gauge the condition. Luckily, I have a great used store close, so I can look at everything back to the Atari. Hell, I picked up a 32x about 2 weeks ago. The final point is... I like to browse. Not because I don't know what I like, but because I can never REMEMBER what I've been looking for. :lol: Unless I make a list, there are just games I'll never remember I've been looking for until I see them. Browsing is just harder to do online, and I'd rather spend some time out in the world doing it than sitting at the computer anyway.

The only times I've bought online recently were a sale (GH3 bundle for $60 at Amazon) and an older game that I wanted NOW, but couldn't find it in person (Mutant League Hockey on Ebay).

This is also an unconventional point, but I also live in an apartment building and, as a result, don't like get anything shipped to me that wouldn't fit in my mailbox... which is *most* stuff. Especially when school is in session around here, I'd NEVER want stuff sitting outside of door all day while I'm at work.
 
I just love going into a store and seeing all the new products they might sell. It inspires more awe than watching on a screen. Sure you can look up reviews and the like, but to hold an actual product in your hands before buying. It decreases the chance of buyer's remorse for me. I only shop online if it is impossible to find what I want.

I should pose another question. Why do some people buy groceries and toilet paper online, rather than actually walking to their local food market, and discount store, respectively? Are they afraid of people other than their UPS deliveryman?
 
For misprints, that I can capitalize on..

like Metal Gear Solid 4 for 37 bucks out the door from Meijer..

can Amazon do that?
 
I buy at B&M because I want to go in, get my game, pay for it, and have it immediately.

I only buy online if it's a sale or I can't find it in stores (or other special circumstances, like being an import).
 
I agree with your point of view OP simply because of the sales tax and the lower prices. However the biggest reason why I still shop at B&M stores is because I want the game in my hands at that moment. I don't mind waiting for shipping, but I want the game the day it comes out, not the day or two after the release date. However, I am seeing more and more stores shipping the game a day or two before the release date so the game will arrive on time. I'm warming up to that idea ever so slowly, but for games like NHL 09, Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, etc, I want those games the minute I pay for them so I will still grab them at B&M stores :)
 
1)Because I don't have a credit card
2) Would rather just get it immediatly
3) Don't want to pay extra for shipping or use the free one to get it a week or more later.
 
I've found that online stores sometimes have better prices but B&M stores have better clearances/sales.

With most online stores, I found that hoarders pretty much buy up anything good because they don't have to leave their mom's basement to do it. But general prices are usually a bit lower on sites like Amazon and plus, I usually don't have to pay taxes which helps too.

Clearances and sales at B&M stores are better because if they're posted while others are at work, then I usually find what I want.
 
I like to buy big ticket items form local places incase there are problems.

Example: Buying a TV. Problem? Exchange it at BestBuy (or wherever) and you are done. Problem with an internet order? Good luck sending it back to the site you got it from. overstock.com totally screwed around with me and even falsified records after them dicking around with me for a week. That's the last time I ordered an expensive item online.

It's just not worth my time. I weigh what I'll save in money versus what I could (and often do) spend in wasted time.
 
some harder to find games are overpriced online. Also not all deals, whether YMMV or not, are available online. Some stores have clearances or sales that are not posted online and the prices will not be honored because they won't price match their own site (i.e. Wal-mart). Personally I prefer shopping B&M I get to buy it and have it the same day instead of waiting.
 
For me it is all the YMMV deals and also being able to just get out to relax. For me I may go to a couple stores and buy nothing, but just getting out, walking around, and looking at stuff is enjoyable to me. For instance I often check out the clearance at my local target (last good game I got was Jeanne D'Arc for $7 or so), and while 9 times out of 10 I buy nothing, every 1 time out of 10 there is something great.
 
theres rarely games that are priced at a $1 online unless its a price mistake or its a game called fuck. clearance games is what CAG is all about.
 
Clearance
Cash
B&M Coupons
No getting charged interest rates!

I really hate buying things online because I'm going to be charged extra money by my credit card. Be it $1 or $0.50 I don't care. It's just money I could have saved by walking to a store and buying a game. I usually go biking to the stores I buy video games anyway.
 
[quote name='Limpbizkit182521']There is sales tax sometimes from online shopping. It depends on the state and where the company has locations. New York, for example, just passed a law that has to do with online sales tax. I don't know the details but I know Amazon now collects tax for NYers.
[/quote]
Wait, really?
What the fuck?
That kills a ton of deals on Amazon for me now.
Damnit.
 
[quote name='baddtm']Sometimes shipping kills a deal online.[/quote]

This. I've been looking for Mario Kart Wii for a couple of weeks now, and finally found it on some online store, for $40 even, only to have the cheapest shipping option be $21. Now I know why they still have the game in stock. Asshats.
 
[quote name='cdrober']For me it is all the YMMV deals and also being able to just get out to relax. For me I may go to a couple stores and buy nothing, but just getting out, walking around, and looking at stuff is enjoyable to me. For instance I often check out the clearance at my local target (last good game I got was Jeanne D'Arc for $7 or so), and while 9 times out of 10 I buy nothing, every 1 time out of 10 there is something great.[/QUOTE]
I'm the same way, I like just going into stores and hunting for deals on clearance games and that type of thing.
 
Sales.

Also, some thing I prefer to buy in-person, so I can be sure of the condition. Especially Collector's Editions and the like. For instance, I would never have pre-ordered Fallout 3 SE online. I want to see it before I take it home. I've gotten crushed games from Amazon before, and the return process is too much of a hassle.
 
In GameStop's case, you can actually tell if you're getting the game scratched up or in decent condition or even in the original case with instructions (if buying used) when buying at their store.

It's best not to be surprised after waiting a week or so for a game that turns out to be scratched to high hell and disc-only.
 
sometimes just walking into a B&M store can reveal deals not listed in the ad like something on clearance or a store manager special. Heck I walked into a BB a few months ago wanting to buy Super Star Tennis for the Wii and found out they were selling House of the Dead 2 and 3 for 50% along with a few other Wii titles.

Target clearances are another one. Finding Castlevania:DXC for the PSP for 7.xx when everwhere else it's 30 bucks was a very nice find.
 
Living in NY, the no-tax thing doesnt apply to me. Then there's shipping, which would either be a week wait or make me pay more than a B&M store. Unless a deal is REALLY good online, there's no point for me.
 
The thrill of the hunt! It's really an addiction sometimes, it seems.

And I totally agree with cdrober, too, just being able to get out and do something instead of being trapped in the cubicle all day. Plus I like holding the actual game in my hand right away. It's pretty fun, I think. I can quite often hit 3 or 4 stores real quick during a lunch break, and the times I find a gem make it totally worth it.
 
I'll agree with what everyone else has said already and add this:

If you're shopping with Gamestop, at least you can check the condition and completeness of the game and not get shipped one of those paper sleeve or otherwise disc only/incomplete/scratched to shit copies.
 
I want to see the condition of the used games and often don't trust sellers on Ebay or Amazon (Aside from Amazon themselves- had a great experience with Amazon).

If I have a problem with a game, I find it much easier to go back to the store and return it than to follow process which could take a while :/

Although another reason for a plus to buy online is to SAVE GAS :D
 
1. Cash
2. I can return it in store no questions asked (actually had to do this sunday with my copy of the orange box for PC because it came with the wrong discs and those fuckers didn't charge me the website price :bomb:).
3. I find it fun going to a store and buying games.
 
I actually get out of the house for one. I don't like to put a lot on my credit cards however I have a lot on them now. So I'm trying to get them paid off so I want to spend the cash when I can. I want the game now and some times shipping kills the deal for me. I will buy online if I can not find it in store and if it is cheaper online after shipping and tax. Also I was buying my games at Best Buy for rewardzone points however now all the 360 games are empty cases or the plastic case they put around the game only with a copy of the cover in it. So you have to have someone get the game for you now and they are starting to do this with the PS3 games too. So I don't think I'm going to buy from them much longer due to this. I can't stand Game Stop and CC 7/10 times I go in I can't find anyone so I can pay and get out.
 
I almost never buy online. For one thing, I have a bunch of credit at Blockbuster, Gamecrazy, and Gamestop. I've gotten that via trade-in deals - all of which requires trips to the store. Until recently you couldn't use Gamestop credit online but I think you can now. I was considering using their online site a bit in the future. If I can get free shipping then it does save me a trip to the store. On the other hand, I can use preorders for leverage on deals in store.

Also, I pay no sales tax here anyway, so usually online purchases end up costing more (shipping and less discounts than I can usually find in B&M). Plus, I'm kind of old fashioned and like to look at stuff in stores - even new games (and most defintely used games).
 
You can see condition of the game, no fear of mail losing it, no fear of eBay scammer. Don't always get a preorder promotion online. And some people still don't trust online shopping and entering their credit card/account numbers.
 
[quote name='sendme']I actually get out of the house for one. I don't like to put a lot on my credit cards however I have a lot on them now. So I'm trying to get them paid off so I want to spend the cash when I can. I want the game now and some times shipping kills the deal for me. I will buy online if I can not find it in store and if it is cheaper online after shipping and tax. Also I was buying my games at Best Buy for rewardzone points however now all the 360 games are empty cases or the plastic case they put around the game only with a copy of the cover in it. So you have to have someone get the game for you now and they are starting to do this with the PS3 games too. So I don't think I'm going to buy from them much longer due to this. I can't stand Game Stop and CC 7/10 times I go in I can't find anyone so I can pay and get out.[/quote]

They do that empty case thing JUST TO ANNOY YOU and others who try doing game shopping on their lunch hours. As for the can't find anyone, I could see that happening at CC, since it IS near impossible to find someone after ya tell them you're 'just looking', but the drones at GS are programmed to pester the shit out of you and get you to leave with less money than you came in there with.

Or, you know, you could just say 'I'm ready to check out' to one of the drones or in the case of CC, go to the customer service desk. That's where I've been checked out from numerous times recently.
 
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Heh, our CC has one register and the service desk and like 100% of the time I go in there (which is not often, maybe once or twice a year) there is no one working that register and only 1 and MAYBE 2 people working at the service desk. Usually there is a line of people at the service desk or at least 1-2 people who each take like 30 min or longer because they have had a problem with something or want to return something and CC doesn't want to budge. Yet there are plenty of employees standing around in their respective departments waiting to pounce on you for more sales. When will retailers realize that the end experience (checking out) and how fast I can get out of there is what matters most to customers, and what leaves a lasting impression. If it takes me 20 min to check out each time I am in the store, no registers open, a lot of employees mulling around the store with nothing to do and a packed service desk it does not leave a good impression on the customer and will not make me shop there in the future unless the deal is too good to be true. The last time I went in there I think I was the only customer in the store other than the people at the service desk waiting to get problems resolved. Note this is real encouraging to customers who are considering a big purchase there to see this (I would have to be an idiot to make a purchase larger than a couple clearance console games I know I won't have problems with) at CC. I wouldn't touch this store during the holidays, not with only one register and a packed service desk all the time.
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']Reasons I can think of:

- Buying used and want to see condition in person
[/QUOTE]

That's the one for me- I'll go online if there's something I specifically want, but I like to see the game in question, make sure it has a case and manual that aren't water-damaged, and see if the disc is in good condition- or at least fixable condition (I've got a tub of cleaning/scratch repair crap I use on less than great condition stuff.)

At the very least, if the game is messed up, it's easier to get a refund with out waiting for a mail-around.

It's also easier on the wallet- rather than snag up everything that sounds good, I'm limited to what's in the store. Sure, I may miss some titles- but if I don't remember what I don't have, I didn't want it that bad, huh?
 
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