Walmart's Used Game Partner, Game Trade, Closing Up Shop

CheapyD

CheapyD

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Got the below email from CAG K_G. Apparently Walmart's test run with Game Trade in 5 locations was not successful.

"I live near one of the test locations (Landover Hills, MD) and when I stopped by today, they had signage saying they were going out of business effective Jan 2 2011. I spoke with the manager to see if it was just this store (which due to the county pawn shop laws, this location didn't even take trade ins at all (they would have to ID everyone and hold on to the stock without selling it for a I believe a minimum of 30 days), which made it a pretty stupid place for a test of a used game store concept) and he said it was all them.

And looking at their twitter profile (noted at the bottom of my receipt), they say they are in liquidation."

"Attention customers: Much to our dismay, Game Trade will be closing effective January 2nd, 2011. It has been a great run, we appreciate you."
 
What ever happened to their in-store trade-in kiosks that took the games and cases in seperate? Those never made it out of the test phase either, I assume, since I never saw any of them around here.

Although a week or two ago I saw a big cardboard dump bin loaded up with resealed games marked 'used'(or preowned, I forget which) buried in a corner of their electronics department at the one WM store here(PA).

Of course most of the bin was loaded up with Rock Revolutions and other 'meh' titles and some were even priced $5-10 above current MSRP for most places.
 
I don't understand why Wal-mart is giving up on this market so easily. If Gamestop can make it work as a business model, there definitely is profit there for a more efficient player in the space. (I'd love to put my Duke MBA to work and get this going for someone...)
 
[quote name='soonersfan60']I don't understand why Wal-mart is giving up on this market so easily. If Gamestop can make it work as a business model, there definitely is profit there for a more efficient player in the space. (I'd love to put my Duke MBA to work and get this going for someone...)[/QUOTE]

and so does every other CAG as well. i scribble down ideas everyday. one day i say, i'll be bigger than any other space pimp, naw I'm too lazy and the wife won't let me!
 
[quote name='CheapyD']
"Attention customers: Much to our dismay, Game Trade will be closing effective January 2nd, 2011. It has been a great run, we appreciate you."[/QUOTE]

No it hasn't... you guys sucked hard. Five stores and it didn't even last a year?
 
[quote name='FRAUD_WHATS_THAT']and so does every other CAG as well. i scribble down ideas everyday. one day i say, i'll be bigger than any other space pimp, naw I'm too lazy and the wife won't let me![/QUOTE]

scribbled down ideas != business plan
 
[quote name='soonersfan60']I don't understand why Wal-mart is giving up on this market so easily. If Gamestop can make it work as a business model, there definitely is profit there for a more efficient player in the space. (I'd love to put my Duke MBA to work and get this going for someone...)[/QUOTE]

I don't think efficiency or innovation has anything to do with success in the used game market. Gamestop is to used games as Band-aid is to bandages. They are the household name, the de-facto standard, when people think "I need to trade in a game, where can I go?" they pretty much instantly settle on Gamestop. The vast majority of people are unwilling to go to competitors (or they just don't understand that there is competitors).

I'm a good friend with the owners of several Play N Trade stores in my area and even though they offer higher trade-ins, better prices, a retro selection, and a variety of other "better than Gamestop" perks, pretty much everyone in my area still shops Gamestop and only Gamestop.
 
True, but among other things Walmart has the ad budget to do what Play N Trade can't as far as getting the message our and name recognition.
 
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