MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
For years, MCV has asked: Just when will global games giant GameStop finally, properly expand its chain into the UK? But it turns out GameStop doesn’t have to be here to tap into the second-largest games retail market in the world: the firm has told MCV its new digital games …
Read More »Games grow at HMV despite fewer releases
As part of its trading statement today HMV has offered further details on the success of its games category – reporting continued successes in areas like pre-owned in the face of a lighter release schedule. Amongst its HMV UK & Ireland stores, the chain’s technology and related entertainment products grew …
Read More »Woolies to make High Street return
The Times has reported that the home shopping retailer, owned by Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay, bought the name from the administrators and resurrected it online earlier this year. The firm now wants to hear from possible franchisees, but is not considering managing the stores itself. Mark Newton-Jones, the …
Read More »HMV like-for-like sales climb 1.9%
Entertainment chain HMV is projecting fiscal year profits will meet high-end market expectations, as annual and quarterly sales saw encouraging gains. The retailer said that like-for-like sales across its fleet of stores in the UK and Ireland were up 4.3 per cent for the sixteen weeks ended April 25, resulting …
Read More »Retail threatened by credit ‘crisis’
The UK High Street is battling to prevent a nationwide games stock shortage – as credit insurers cut cover against the industry’s biggest retailers. MCV understands that credit insurers including Atradius, Coface and Euler Hermes have slashed cover on stock sold in to some retailers – including Toys R Us, …
Read More »Germany considering retail demo pod ban
The state minister for Hamburg will introduce anti-truancy measures to fellow politicians in Germany later this week – including a recommendation that games demo pods be switched off during school hours. According to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag – translated by news source Deutsche Welle – Udo Nagel said: "Truancy …
Read More »US games retailer heads for UK
After years of speculation, a major US games retailer has finally promised to take on GAME in the UK – and the shock news is it’s not GameStop. Play N Trade, which boasts that it is the fastest-growing specialist chain over the pond, has unveiled a battleplan that could see …
Read More »Xmas shopping shows minimal footfall increase
Figures for the first week of Christmas retail have been released, and have shown that footfall only increased by 0.01 per cent year-on-year. However, looking at week-on-week figures, the number of shoppers increased by 11.2 per cent, signalling that many people had begun their Christmas shopping. For the full story …
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