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GameStop is reopening recently closed stores despite massive retail cuts — select locations return nationwide starting September 11 GameStop hits rewind. GameStop is bringing some of its recently closed stores back to life. The company announced on social media that “select closed stores” are reopening nationwide starting September 11, although it has not revealed exactly how many locations will return. When asked about the number of stores involved, a GameStop spokesperson reportedly told IGN that the count was “at least one” as of September 11, suggesting that we can expect more details to follow. The move comes after GameStop reportedly had one of its biggest rounds of store closures listed for January 2026. According to a blog tracking the closures, around 470 locations across the U.S. were listed as either confirmed to close or already closed, as the retailer continued efforts to cut costs and improve profitability. GameStop had already closed hundreds of stores during the previous fiscal year, making the latest shutdowns part of a much larger reduction in its physical retail footprint. GameStop's decision to reopen select physical stores is notably interesting given the wider shift away from physical game media. Digital downloads have replaced physical discs, while console manufacturers are increasingly offering hardware without disc drives. Recently, Sony took the shift even further after sharing its plans to stop producing new physical PlayStation game discs by January 2028. While that has resulted in a considerable backlash from the gaming community as a whole, Sony did clarify that existing titles can continue to be reordered and disc production will not simply disappear overnight. It is worth mentioning that GameStop's business has moved beyond physical games. CEO Ryan Cohen said in July that software accounted for less than 12% of the company's business, although GameStop's fiscal 2025 filings put software, including physical games and digital download codes, at 20.1% of sales. Collectibles have become increasingly important, accounting for 29.2% of fiscal 2025 revenue and growing 47.7% year over year. This could explain why GameStop is potentially comfortable reopening selected stores despite the decline of physical games. That being said, it is safe to consider the announcement as a limited reopening rather than a complete reversal of GameStop's broader strategy. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds. Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Kunal Khullar is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. He is a long time technology journalist and reviewer specializing in PC components and peripherals, and welcomes any and every question around building a PC. - GenericUser2001 Gamestop's turn around is certainly not something I expected, but apparently their pivot to collectibles has worked out really well for them; they are literally more profitable than ever. Good for them.Reply - Jagwired Funko's and blind bag junk doesn't seem like a sustainable business. You can buy those at Walmart and Target, and it seems like a fad like Beanie Babies. TCGs seem like they have staying power and while there are lot of TCG stores, most local TCG stores lazily built. Someone buys some cheap folding tables and shelves and calls it a TCG store. A well designed and branded TCG chain could be a good path for GameStop.Reply The other idea I've seen for GameStop is to become an esports store selling jerseys, good quality peripherals, "gamer" drinks/snacks, etc. It doesn't seem like GameStop is interested in that, however, and they want to focus on toys. - Marlin1975 ReplyGenericUser2001 said:Gamestop's turn around is certainly not something I expected, but apparently their pivot to collectibles has worked out really well for them; they are literally more profitable than ever. Good for them. No they are not. Their "profits" have come from selling stock and buying treasuries. They got a bunch of saps to get the stock inflated, sold more stock, and then invested it. - ezst036 What is the point when the vast majority of gamers have rejected physical game media? Most customers demand on-demand/streaming super convenience immediately downloadable content.Reply People who still demand physical media are for the most part a small internet sub culture. - ohio_buckeye Their best course of action may be to go more towards retro games and systems and set up an online store from similar to Steam or epic games.Reply I know there’s one local game store in our area all kinds of stuff from old movies to old systems from snes to ps5 and in between and collectibles. - Concerned Liberty Funko's and blind bag junk doesn't seem like a sustainable business. You can buy those at Walmart and Target, and it seems like a fad like Beanie Babies. TCGs seem like they have staying power and while there are lot of TCG stores, most local TCG stores lazily built. Someone buys some cheap folding tables and shelves and calls it a TCG store. A well designed and branded TCG chain could be a good path for GameStop.Reply The other idea I've seen for GameStop is to become an esports store selling jerseys, good quality peripherals, "gamer" drinks/snacks, etc. It doesn't seem like GameStop is interested in that, however, and they want to focus on toys.Funko Pop figures have been around and fairly popular for a decade and a half. It seems like they should be well past the fad stage at this point. TCGs would be a solid path, though I feel like most areas already have their niche local card/hobby shops well established. GameStop would have to do something spectacular, I think, to draw people away from their local hobby shops. I personally don't care for esports any more than I do physical sports, but I could see that working out if they decided on that pivot.
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