EB Games

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
EB Games
Type Division of GameStop
Industry Electronics Stores
Founded 1977 (as Electronics Boutique)
in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Headquarters Grapevine, Texas, U.S.
As an independent company: West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania
Key people Dick Fontaine (Chairman, CEO), Daniel A. Dematteo (Vice-Chairman, COO), David W. Carlson (CFO), Steve Morgan (Former President)
Products Video games, optical discs, computer games, video game consoles
Employees 33,000+
Website www.EBGames.com
An Electronics Boutique store at Ann Arbor, Michigan's Briarwood Mall, in October 2009. It is one of the few remaining Electronics Boutique locations in the United States, with no timetable on a transition to the GameStop name as of late 2009.
An EB Games store in Moncton, Canada in October 2008.

EB Games (formerly known as Electronics Boutique and EB World) is an American computer and video games retailer. First established as an American company in 1977 by James Kim[1] with a single electronics-focused location in the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia, the company has grown into an international corporation. EB Games's parent corporation, GameStop, has its headquarters in Grapevine, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.[2] When Electronics Boutique was an independent company, its headquarters was in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania,[3][4] near West Chester.[5][6]

History

Originally, the operation mainly sold calculators and digital watches. Between 1977 and the mid-1990s, the company expanded to (and later stopped) selling computers, software, and other related items (according to the EB Games employee handbook). Electronics Boutique also operated stores under the name Games 'n Gadgets. The Games 'n Gadgets stores were themed more on entertainment and gaming, rather than business and productivity. In the mid-1990s, the company's focus switched to TV-based video games and consoles, though many stores still maintain PC game sections.

In May 2000, in order to unify their company, Electronics Boutique changed the vast majority of its current EB and EB Gameworld stores to the name EB Games. They also announced that they would be either closing or selling all of their EB Kids and Brandywine Sports Collectible Stores.[7]

For years EB Games’ primary distribution center was in Louisville, KY, with two smaller distribution centers and a World Headquarters all located in West Chester, PA. With video games getting more popular every day EB Games decided it was time for a new distribution center. In October 2004, EB Games opened its doors to its new 314,000-square-foot (29,200 m2) distribution center in Sadsbury Township, PA. The world headquarter office in West Chester remained open, however anyone working at the old distribution centers were transferred to the new location.[8]

As of July 30, 2001, the company operated 2,280 stores in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Austria and Spain, primarily under the names EB Games and Electronics Boutique. The company operates an e-commerce and international website at http://www.ebgames.com . There is also an Australian EB Games website at http://www.ebgames.com.au and a New Zealand EB Games website at http://www.ebgames.co.nz, both now support full online shopping like the international website does, they both have many games available for purchase and download at EB Games Australia - Digital Downloads for Australia and EB Games New Zealand - Digital Downloads for New Zealand.

EB Games and GameStop Merger

On Thursday, October 6, 2005 shareholders from EB Games and GameStop agreed to a $1.44 billion takeover deal. The deal offered $38.15 in cash as well as approximately ¾ of a share of GameStop stock for every 1 share of EB Games stock. This offer was a 34.2% premium on the $41.12 per share closing price of EB Games stock. GameStop decided to close EB Games' newly constructed distribution center in Sadsbury, PA, their call center in Las Vegas, NV, and their International Headquarters in West Chester, PA, eliminating more than 800 jobs. Only 65 former EB Games employees were offered jobs at GameStop’s headquarters in Grapevine, TX.[9]

International

EB began its international expansion with the opening of three stores in Toronto in 1993. The Canadian division is the largest of the international divisions with 300+ stores as of May 2008.

In 1995, the company expanded to the UK with the purchase of financially troubled British game retailer Rhino Group. The name of the chain was changed from Future Zone to "Electronics Boutique" to match the new owner. Store remodels, product mix changes and used video games combined to restore the chain's finances.

Electronics Boutique commenced operations in Australia in 1997 and rapidly became the number one video game specialty retailer in the country and the only one with a nationwide footprint.

Although the EB-GAME "merger" created a company separate from the US parent, EB retained a 24% ownership stake in the merged chain for a period of time and, under the merger agreement, collected substantial management fees from it until 2004, when the companies agreed to sever the remainder of their ties with a one time settlement. The GAME brand replaced the EB name at all former EB stores in the UK and Ireland. The new company was the biggest video game retailer in the United Kingdom. However, GameStop is once again operating in Ireland under the GameStop brand.

On May 23, 2005, EB Games announced a definitive agreement to acquire Jump, a retailer based in Valencia, Spain that sells PCs and other consumer electronics. EB Games plans to begin introducing video game hardware and software into Jump's 141 stores over the next several months. The acquisition provides EB Games entry into the Spanish marketplace and continues EB Games's aggressive international expansion.

EB Games once had a retail presence in South Korea.[citation needed]

On June 22, 2008, reports surfaced that EB Games in New Zealand would acquire The Gamesman - New Zealand's largest independently owned and operated specialised gaming store.[10] All Gamesman stores are to be rebranded as Games stores, leaving no multi-centre specialist gaming stores in New Zealand.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The World's Billionaires: #721 James Kim & family". Forbes. March 3, 2010. "Net worth: $1.4 billion" 
  2. ↑ "Contact Us." GameStop. Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  3. ↑ Moran, Sarah E. "County jobless rate worsens." Daily Local News. Tuesday November 1, 2005. Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Contact." Electronic Boutique. June 11, 2004. Retrieved on August 11, 2010. "931 South Matlack St. West Chester, PA 19382."
  5. ↑ "Corporate Office Positions." Electronic Boutique. June 9, 2001. Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  6. ↑ "West Goshen township, Chester County, Pennsylvania." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  7. ↑ EB changes name of game: rebranding a la GameStop.
  8. ↑ Video game retailer Electronics Boutique expects to break ground on a new 315,000-square-foot distribution center this spring.
  9. ↑ Hundreds of EB jobs will be cut
  10. ↑ “The Gamesman” Set to be Acquired by EB Games

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.