Not everyone was happy with GameStop’s transition into a toy store, but there was at least some crossover between toys and gaming. Until now. New inventory just came in for GameStop employees, and some of the stock they’re getting aren’t even toys.
According to the GameStop subreddit, store employees have been receiving items such as a lemon-powered clock, a toddler ball popper, a broken scooter, and an algebra tile set. Because “childhood education” is the first thing that someone thinks of when they walk into a GameStop.
Apparently, employees at the gaming retail chain have been getting odd deliveries for a while. Some of my favorites include a shower beer can holder, squish balls, Pampers diapers, toddler walkers, and a vent clip that holds chicken nugget dipping sauce. Diapers and stress balls are a little odd, but normal people do use them. On the other hand, I want to know if there are really freaks who drink beer in the shower.
I also discovered this giant plastic egg filled with randomized collectibles (i.e. stuff that none of the other customers wanted). It’s not just video games trying to sell you loot boxes now: It could also be your local gaming retailer.
Along with the rest of the brick-and-mortar retail sector, things have been rough for GameStop in the past several years. Just this summer, several employees were laid off from its Texas headquarters and GameStop owned-Game Informer. And its preorder system has been a mess. It seems like they’ll try any kind of gimmick to keep its retail stores afloat. They’ve sold customer data to third-party companies, minted a developer’s game as an NFT without his permission, and gave its retail staff a 50-cent raise.
Redditors complained about a surplus of inventory that customers weren’t buying and how they wished GameStop was still more of a video game store. Some employees however, were more pragmatic. As one Redditor put it, “I don’t care as long as people spend their money there and my store doesn’t close.”