As you've no doubt seen around the web and on your travels, savvy small businesses such as restaurants and coffee shops that are near Pokéstops have been buying lures to, well, lure in players who then happen to buy something while they're catching pocket monsters. Of course, this is a tactic that big businesses can look to use in slightly more sophisticated ways.
GameStop has over 400 locations in the US that are designated Pokéstops or gyms, and it's led to tangible boosts in sales performance. GameStop CEO J. Paul Raines has told CNBC that key locations have seen sales increase by around 100%, with Pokémon merchandise naturally being a notable strongpoint.
Despite that good news it's actually a tough video interview for the GameStop boss, with the interviewer at one point demanding to know why GameStop wasn't proactive in getting itself 'into' the game. With GO being such a success the pressure is on big gaming businesses in particular to try and make the free-to-play app work for them.
One area where this will happen is in sponsored locations, which are planned for the future. Quite how these will work will be interesting to see, but for as long as GO is engaging and exciting millions of players there'll be commercial opportunities explored at all levels.
GameStop, for its part, has already enjoyed some benefits from Niantic's app.
Thanks to all that sent this in.
[source video.cnbc.com, via usgamer.net]
Comments 24
True, made me go in their stores, but I got nothing since this game is using up all my data plan.
I wouldn't step foot inside that rip-off shop.
All sponsored locations need is an infinite lure module. And places like Gamestop could potentially just invest in buying lure modules and using them often to attract customers, if their stores are allready pokespots
If anything this is a prove, if we needed any, of how many not-gamers GO managed to attract (and/or gamestop's haters ); I mean, I pass weekly by my local GameStop, but having now GO won't make me buy more XD
I vowed long ago never to step inside a GameStop ever gone. Screwed too many times. Please don't give them your business.
@rjejr I could read the first paragraph or so but then it says you have to subscribe to continue reading 😉
@Kimyonaakuma Thank you. Guess I'll go and delete them then, no point in that.
Everytime I see GameStop make the news on this site I just grab some popcorn and read the comments. So many people are apparently outraged about any minor thing that might possibly happen concerning GameStop. I enjoy the good laugh. Keep it up guys. We all know you guys are just fumbling around instead of actually doing their deals. You can easily get any games that you want almost for free at GameStop if you play their games and they don't really cost more than market value. Best Buy on the other hand...
I've seen a lot of businesses use this strategy around town . My own boss applied to make our store a pokéstop (which I was ecstatic about).
@Jingo_Unchained Me too. I got over $50 in trade-in from 4 games, 3 of which are either really old, or are already in bargain bins. I've never been screwed over once in a EB/GS, even the ones I've been to in the US.
This doesn't tell us much. How much of those increased sales are other Pokémon products, other Nintendo products, and non-Nintendo products? How much volume is 100% at those stores? What is the ratio of stores seeing notably increased sales versus mlstly just seeing an increased number of visitors?
GEN 1 BABY! YEAH!
My nearby Gamestop attracts all the aloof suburban moms who are easily manipulated by the staff.
Once saw a mom come in to buy wii fit but ended up buying her son an XBox with COD and a few other games (plus the protection plan, magazine subscription, etc). LOL
..don't bother going, you'll only find a bunch of ..
Smart on their part. The agile business is the one that finds a way to get some of that foot traffic that GO is generating.
@Jingo_Unchained me either. People love to complain I suppose.
Go team instinct!
This amount of sponsorship is good. Maybe letting businesses buy Pokéstops would work well, but there's always the possibility Niantic goes too far with sponsored locations. Niantic, you've struck gold, don't mess it up.
This would be a good time for Nintendo to role out those new ad banners to the GS stores. That bright red will catch eyes, even if it's only a small section of the store.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Maybe you should be smarter. If you allow somebody to rip you off, that is your problem and not theirs.
I have never been ripped off at Gamestop.
@freaksloan No, I think you need to be smarter. Where did I say I allowed somebody to rip me off? It's not my problem because I don't and won't shop at Gamestop. So therefore it is their problem.
@JoeyJoey95 Bitter much?
@Uzuki : love that idea! It's been said many times here about Nintendo needing to up its martketing game and brand. Put that glorious logo at these GO! locations.
@JoeyJoey95 Yes they do.
@JoeyJoey95 Trolls aren't tolerated on this site and it's pretty clear who's the idiot. Thank God you won't be replying anymore to me. See ya!
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