UK Game Store to Cease Offering Trade-Ins
An internal source has confirmed that Game, a UK store, will be ending its trade-in program and phasing out its pre-owned stock, effective February 16. The news of this decision was met with internal unease, as reported by TechRadar Gaming (TRG). Staff members were instructed to refrain from speaking to the media, commenting on social media, or engaging in speculation with customers.
Standalone Game stores will continue to sell pre-owned stock until supplies run out, while concession stores (such as those within Sports Direct stores) will be discontinuing the sale of pre-owned items entirely.
Concession stores will transfer their pre-owned software to other stores, and hardware will be sent back to the distribution center for redistribution as part of an overall integration of Game, which is owned by Frasers Group. Frasers Group also owns retailers including House of Fraser, Sports Direct, and Firetrap.
Although it’s not clear what Game is integrating with, it’s worth noting that more locations have become concession stores as part of Sports Direct. Additionally, the trade-in policy was recently changed to only offer store credit or Game gift cards, rather than cash.
A spokesperson for Frasers Group stated, “As part of the integration of Game, we will be phasing out the Trade In, Pre-owned and Game Elite offerings in the UK over the coming months. Pre-owned will still be available in our standalone stores across the UK while stock lasts, and Game Elite will still be available until the end of summer. We are grateful to our dedicated team and loyal customers for their continued support.”
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