Image: GameStop / Jazplus / Kelly Toys Holdings / Kotaku / Ethan Miller (Getty Images)
As Kotaku reported final week, retail large GameStop has been more and more stocking its retail shops with bizarre, random junk as an alternative of, properly, video video games. Dissatisfied GameStop workers have been grousing on-line in regards to the huge quantities of toys the warehouses are sending. And because it seems, prospects aren’t even shopping for them.
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According to an r/GameStop thread discussing the phenomenon, one of many largest offenders are “Squishmallows,” animal-shaped pillows that double as kids’s plush toys. “I now have 25 of the same squish that doesn’t sell,” wrote the unique poster, who stated they labored at one of many slowest shops of their metropolis. “We’ve had one of the same squish for months that has never sold. Someone please ask if the warehouse workers are okay.” Since posting the thread yesterday, the worker’s Squishmallow rely has elevated to 43. Some replies from different employees claimed that their places did properly with Squishmallows, however different commenters stated they struggled with how a lot shelf house they consumed.
However, it wasn’t simply GameStop’s unusual obsession with Squishmallows that precipitated the workers complications. If even one buyer purchased a toy merchandise, then the warehouse would ship extra to that retailer.
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“Some random kid bought one backpack clip of Jurassic World and now [the] warehouse thinks I’m the major prime residency of receiving everything Jurassic World related,” complained one worker. “It does not sell at all and we continue to get distros for it.” Another pissed off staffer obtained 66 Sonic the Hedgehog backpack clips as a result of one man had purchased 5 final week.
“We get what are called blind bags in almost every shipment,” one worker advised Kotaku. “At one point we dedicated four different places in the store to them. And our back room was completely full of them. Outside of video games they’re probably the single most common item in the store.”
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That specific retailer managed to promote these veritable GameStop warehouse loot packing containers by placing them on clearance, however shops are nonetheless getting too many blind luggage relative to the house they’ve to really show merchandise. According to a different worker who spoke to Kotaku, the overstock is the primary purpose why their retailer was continually having clearance gross sales: Otherwise they couldn’t do away with all of the Power Rangers toys, DC and Marvel Legends motion figures, and plushies.
Sometimes, GameStop even will get undesirable video video games. The funniest one reported within the unique Reddit thread is Babylon’s Fall, a recreation that carried out so poorly that Square Enix plans to close down its servers earlier than it’s even been out for a yr. Some GameStop places are giving Babylon’s Fall away at no cost. Apparently, this distributor managed to overlook the memo.
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One buyer chimed in on Reddit to specific confusion as to why GameStop’s retail shops have been full of unsellable toys. Apparently, got here the reply, they do assist the retail shops keep afloat. “Because games have a niche market. They’re bad gifts, a lot of people prefer digital, and GameStop doesn’t do retro so it’s a small market of games,” a present worker replied. “T-shirts, collectibles, etc. all make great money, they’re easy gifts and can be akin to the candy next to the cashier, impulse buy.”
If you end up in pressing want of a bathe beer can holder, squishy stress balls, Pampers diapers, toddler walkers, or a automotive air conditioner vent clip that holds rooster nugget dipping sauce, properly, you recognize the place to go.
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Additional reporting by Ethan Gach.
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