Shortly after stores closed in California following a government mandate, GameStop announced it would close all US storefronts temporarily as a result of the coronavirus. Curbside pickup and digital sales are the only way that shoppers can now shop at GameStop, but few will likely forget that the response beforehand was rather lackluster. Now, it’s clear that the brick and mortar video game retailer was downplaying the threat in the leadup to the actual closure.
Aside from memos that revealed GameStop was not stocking stores with cleaning supplies and sanitizer, a new video from YouTuber Camelot331 shows a leaked conference call in which the executives of the company were clearly dismissive of the coronavirus’ potential influence on store associates. This call includes executives, field managers, store managers, and more, with some bringing up legitimate concerns about how to handle product.
As heard in the video below, it seems initial GameStop traffic had spiked—one manager reported “over 50 to 75 transactions, which is way more than normal”—and this is a possible reason GameStop tried to ship itself as an “essential retailer.” Yet this comes at a risk: “I feel like we’re putting our guys in a position where they have to choose between their livelihood and their personal health,” stated one manager. After all, coronavirus can be transmitted via hard surfaces such as game cases and console boxes, but executives responded that they had “discussions” about it.
GameStop makes it clear that, despite this threat, items could not be refused unless they were in unacceptable condition, suggesting even from those who were showing telltale signs of being sick. Throughout the call, GameStop executives simply provide vague responses to legitimate concerns, citing “daily discussions,” taking it “day by day,” and promising that “[executives] are looking into it.” The general consensus is that responses were a bunch of vague non-answers meant to placate those with questions, with the company implying that employees should only listen to corporate.
From the outside looking in, it’s clear why GameStop employees were critical of its policies and response to the coronavirus threat from the get-go. GameStop had, in the following days, buckled and closed storefronts, but it’s clear that there was likely a ton of reluctance in such a decision. As with all employees in the retail business, personal health should be a primary concern.
