Complete list of game stores that have closed

COMPUTER gaming fans have flocked to the high street over the years to pick up the latest releases for PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.

One store, Game, has been a household name for shoppers since the early 1990s and can still be found in many towns and cities.

The store is now owned by Frasers Group following its acquisition in 2019.

Frasers Group is the company founded by Mike Ashley and is behind well-known brands such as House of Fraser, Sports Direct and Flannels.

Close the game?

Game has more than 240 stores nationwide at the time of writing.

But Frasers Group has closed a number of sites in recent months, including sites in Devon and Wales.

In addition, other locations are also earmarked for closure in the future.

Some of these locations offered deep discounts on inventory before closing their doors for good.

Why is Game closing stores?

Game owner Frasers Group has not given a reason for closing these stores.

But in some cases they have moved or reopened in other Frasers Group stores such as Sports Direct.

For example, the Game in Newport, Wales closed in October 2023. But just a few days later it opened in Sports Direct on the same street.

Some retailers close branches here and there for various reasons, such as when a store lease expires.

Other examples of one-off rather than widespread closures are when changes occur in the environment, such as the closure of a shopping center.

And in some cases, a store will close and move to another area with more shoppers.

However, some chains have faced tougher conditions, including rising rents and energy costs, along with falling numbers of shoppers on the high street, forcing them to close dozens of stores, or in the worst case, all of them.

Game isn’t the only name under the Frasers Group umbrella to close or move to another store.

It has opened a new concept department store home to several brands including Game and Sports Direct, as well as designer store Flannels.

Frasers opened in Norwich. Norfolk, last September, with more to come in Blackpool and Sheffield.

The new Frasers stores are home to several other Frasers Group brands such as Belong, USC and Evans Cycles.

It follows the closure of several House of Fraser department stores, including in Sollihull, Cardiff, Birmingham, High Wycombe, Westfield Shepherd’s Bush and Guildford.

Complete list of game stores that are closed

Nearly a dozen Game stores have closed so far or will close soon.

Here’s a list of dates we know so far…

• Nuneaton, Warwickshire Ropewalk Shopping Center – November 10
• Newport, Wales, on October 18, 2023 (moved to Sports Direct)
• Exeter, Devon, Guildhall shopping center – January (moved to Sports Direct on Rydon Lane)
• Witney, Oxfordshire – January 7
• Rugby, Warwickshire – January 7
• Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire – January 14
• Plymouth, Devon – February 6
• Newton Abbot, Devon – March 17
• Grimsby, Lincolnshire – March 17
• Rhyl, Wales – spring
• Torquay, Devon – TBD

You can find your nearest Game Store using the store locator on the website.

Retailers will close stores in 2024

RETAILERS have been feeling the pressure since the pandemic, as shoppers cut back on spending due to the rising cost of living.

High energy costs and the switch to online shopping are also taking their toll, and many shops on the high streets are struggling to continue.

Here’s a list of all the major brands closing their stores this year:

• Argos – The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone stores in the UK last year as it looks to break away from the high street and focus on expanding its supermarket presence.
• B&V – The chain has over 300 stores across the UK, so there’s a good chance there’s one near you, but some stores have closed in recent months.
• Boots – The health and beauty chain announced last July that it would close 300 stores. The closures are ongoing and will reduce the retailer’s store count from 2,200 to 1,900 stores.
• Clintons – Clintons late last year considered plans to close 38 stores in an effort to avoid bankruptcy. We have listed the affected stores.
• Costa coffee – The caffeine giant has around 2,000 locations nationwide, so there’s a good chance there’s one near you. The chain recently closed the doors of dozens of locations. We’ve revealed which stores are closing this year.
• Iceland – The supermarket has more than 900 stores, but closed almost twenty locations in 2023, and more select stores will close.
• Lidl – The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing store locations, causing a number of stores to close. But the retailer also wants to open twelve new supermarkets.
• MRS – M&S, which has 405 stores across the country, has closed a string of branches across the country in a blow to shoppers. But it’s not all bad news, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new stores.
• Offence – The company announced in July last year that it would close six branches, but more are in the pipeline.
• W.H.Smith – The retail giant, which operates more than 1,100 stores, has closed eight stores since March 2023, but more are on the way.