GAME (retailer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The GAME Group plc | |
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| Type | Public (LSE: GMG.L) |
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| Founded | As GAME 2002, beforehand Electronics Boutique UK 1995 |
| Headquarters | Basingstoke, UK |
| Key people | Peter Lewis, Chairman Lisa Morgan, CEO |
| Industry | Video Games |
| Products | Game Consoles Computer Games Accessories |
| Revenue |  £34.7 million GBP (2004) |
| Slogan | The Next Level |
| Website | www.game.co.uk |
The GAME Group plc (LSE: GMG.L)(usually known by its high street trading name GAME) is a UK-based video games retail company. With over 500 stores across Europe, GAME is the largest retailer of video games in the continent. Its flagship store is in Oxford Street, London, although many of their best stores can be found around the country, dubbed "Centres of Excellence".
The current GAME Group was formerly known as Electronics Boutique PLC, having licensed the name from the otherwise unrelated U.S. company of the same name. (GAME was originally a chain which Electronics Boutique PLC purchased in 1998).
GAME opened their 500th store in Denmark in 2004.
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[edit] Rebranding from Electronics Boutique to GAME
Electronics Boutique PLC (a UK-based video game retailer with stores in the UK and Ireland), purchased the original GAME in 1999. Prior to this, GAME were independently active in the UK, Swedish and Irish markets. Electronics Boutique also purchased the BarrysWorld online gaming service, the French retailer ScoreGames and the Spanish retailer CentroMAIL.
In 2002, Electronics Boutique stores in the UK and Ireland were rebranded as GAME, and the company name was changed. Despite the name change, a 1% sales royalty to Electronics Boutique in the United States (who they had licensed the name from and were otherwise unconnected with) remained until January 2006. GAME's attempts to have this overturned in court were unsuccessful.[1]
[edit] Policies
GAME operates a loyalty card scheme for UK and Ireland customers, which offers a 2.5% cashback on all purchases. It had over 5 million members as of 2004. This loyalty scheme was soon extended to GAME's website.
The company also offer a trade-in policy for used games, which are bought in good condition and sold on at a profit. Customers can be paid in cash or in store credit, the latter of which is usually higher to encourage customers to buy from the company. GAME has also runs a "Deal of the Week" scheme, which allows for newly released games to be reduced heavily for a week in order to sell high numbers of stock.
GAME changed its returns policies to give customers more time to return unwanted or duplicate gifts. Software may be returned for a refund or exchange within 28 days of the purchase date, providing that the seal remains unbroken. Goods purchased on the store's website can also be returned to GAME stores with the original invoice and credit or debit card used on the original purchase to process the refund.
[edit] Trivia
- In the Nintendo Gamecube game Super Smash Brothers Melee there is a shop seen in the opening cutscene, in Onett, that is called GAME with the same purple font as the retail store. It is unknown if this is just coincidence or advertising.
- The original GAME logo had a green triangle
[edit] References
- ^ "Game loses EB royalty case", The Register, Friday 28th February 2003.
