GameStop Closing 200 Stores In Effort to Maximize Profits

A Jacksonville video game retailer may be on the closure list in the near future. On the same day that tech giant Apple announced its gaming subscription service Arcade, brick-and-mortar video game retailer GameStop announced that it will be closing between 180-200 stores globally by the end of the year. The closures are just the first wave of closures, according to GameStop CFO Jim Bell, who says another round will happen next year. How many stores that could close in the United States was not disclosed. The company has told USA Today that were recent efforts across the corporate structure into downsizing the company for better organization and management. Since January of this year, stores in Alton, Aurora, Champaign, Dixon, Elmwood Park, and Willowbrook have all closed. 19 Illinois stores have closed since 2016. There are currently 18 locations open in the state of Illinois, with 2 locations in Springfield along with the store in Jacksonville. Phones calls to the Jacksonville store were directed to corporate media relations. As of this newscast, the corporate offices have not returned WLDS News’ inquiry.