Are there any other options in the UK?

From my read on things on the other side of the Atlantic -- GAME is the UK equivalent of Gamestop, the only game in town as far as a retailer that offers a national chain of game stores. (Ironically, Gamestop was in the UK market until a few months ago and has gone Internet only).

Mass retailers and electronics stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, etc) also stock games in the US, but not always with the selection of a Gamestop. Is it the same in the UK with Tesco and similar stores?

Mike from Morgantown

The highstreet in Hemel has 2 GAMEs, a Gamestation and a CEX- it's unneccessary

With GAME it happened because they expanded and had idiots managing the company. Basically the company is actually electronic boutique. However they bought the GAME chain and the name. Then later rebranded all EB stores as GAME. This resulted in a few cases of stores being too close. They then also bought the chain Gamestation. These two purchases meant they had bought around an extra 300 stores. Obviously since they used to be competitors they were often near each other. 

Rather than think of the long term they just went ''Well both are profitable for now, I see no problem in keeping two stores open that are a minutes walk apart''. Despite the fact that really they are just doubling their costs but not really changing revenue. As I doubt many people would be off put by the fact the store location was now a minute walks away. In the Uk you actually end up with ridiculous situations where there are 2 games within a couple of minutes walk and one of them is also opposite a gamestation. So basically you have 3 shops all owned by the same company that are competiting with each other.

Like Mike said it is probably the same in the US. Where one company expands and buys more stores nearby then just keeps both open. 

Yeah it's pretty much the same.

Grainger Games is another store that seems to be popping up more and more, primarily up north. They started on a market stall, made their money on used games but they also repair disks and consoles. They expect to have 75-100 stores by 2013, currently 68.

I still don't understand why GAME doesn't leverage their multi stores and dedicate one to actually trying and playing games. It wouldn't even need any staff. Turn it into a modern (free) arcade centre and let Costa or Starbucks serve snacks.

That's not a bad idea. The problem I can see though is the work it would take to be able to sell food in a place that is probably small and lacks the equipment and plumbing required for such service.  But it is a good reuse for the book stores as they go out of business (one of the two major US chains -- Borders Books -- went under at the end of last year).

Mike from Morgantown

Forget the coffee shops. This is gamers we are talking about. A couple of vending machines and a microwave for cold pizza is more than enough. 

Yeah I miss Borders... a lot more than I would miss GAME if it went.

Although tbh more often than not my reason for going into the Borders in Leeds was to get to the Paperchase at the back.

Ohhh

All caps? So they're yelling at me!?

Yep, it's an order... your see a GAME store and you should be playing a game. Weird that in America it's the other way around and your gaming stores tell you to stop gaming.