From Stall To Store
Grainger Games began as a market stall run by trader Stephen Bowyer in 1996, located in the Grainger Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. The popularity of the stall resulted in Bowyer expanding into an equally popular store, and gradually expanding into other stores across the north of England.
The company planned to have a chain of between 75 and 100 shops by 2013, of which approximately 40 were planned for Yorkshire. Stores were opened in Grimsby, Hull, Chesterfield, Doncaster, Leeds, Derby, York and Sheffield, with the most recent being a concession in Fenwick, Newcastle.
The majority of stores were located across Northern England and throughout Scotland. By June 2014, the company had 419 employees. Grainger Games was named Independent Retailer of the Year by MCV in 2008 and 2010, respectively.
The company would pride itself on outstanding customer service and purchase options. Customers would be able to trade in games and consoles to Grainger Games, gaining a value bonus by exchanging for store credit which would be stored in a private account. Credit could then be used against the value of any items in store.
If desired items were out of stock at specific stores, stock could be transferred between stores by ordering online or in-store. Customers would receive a courtesy call when orders arrived in-store and the item would be reserved for an agreed period of time.
Impractical Jokers
Stores would be brightly coloured in signature orange and staff visibly more friendly and approachable than main high street rival GAME, which featured darker stores and more formal staff with scripted sales techniques for promotions. While Grainger Games stores would receive positive feedback for their operational style, the behaviour of a select group of staff and executives would not be so well received.
Grainger Games were the main sponsor for the Games Media Awards in 2011, however, its attendees were criticised for their behaviour during the event, which included heckling the compere and award winners’ acceptance speeches. The company hired little people and booth models to present the awards, and littered the tables with bright orange condoms.
All Your Eggs In One Basket
On 21st March, 2018, amid the closures of other retail chains, such as Toys “R” Us and Maplin, multiple investors pulled their credit offerings for Grainger Games, leaving the company in a financially critical situation after a year of heavy expenditure. Managing director Stephen Bowyer told Chronicle Live that the company’s credit limits had been cut or removed by some suppliers.
Many Grainger Games stores were less than two years old and had yet to generate a profit, resulting in a significant loss at the time. In the company’s financial report in March 2017, it employed 390 people and made an operating loss of £1.3m. As a result of this, on 28th March 2018, 21 of Grainger Games’ 67 stores were told not to open as their store would not be included in any future bid for the company. The same message was delivered to the remaining 46 stores the following day.
Additionally, the corporate website was taken down, displaying a HTTP 404 error page instead. All of Grainger Games’ roughly 400 employees were made redundant, some with less than 24 hours notice, receiving payments for all working hours through to 31st March. The company ceased trading effective on 28th March 2018.
Mr Stanton, a representative for Grainger Games during a closing interview made the following statements:
“This has come as shock to us all and presents a significant operating challenge driven by factors outside our control.”
“Grainger Games had a huge over-reliance on second-hand games, which became big in the early 2000s.”
“The advent of digital downloads meant fewer people were buying physical games.”
“It’s a little bit sad for me because I think if you’re from a certain generation it meant a lot.”
“I would buy second-hand games and the great thing from a consumer point of view is you could trade them in again. The wheeler-dealing they let you do was wonderful.”
Customers lamented the loss of the chain on social media, with many commenting that the loss of Grainger Games marks yet another gap in the once-great British high street, and ‘a stab in the back’ for struggling shoppers who want to browse products like they used to.
