Game’s plan to close down thirteen stores

Game has not yet initiated closure procedures at three of the remaining stores it selected to close down, the retailer’s parent company Massmart has told MyBroadband.

In September 2022, Game announced it would run clearance sales at an initial eight of thirteen underperforming sites identified for closure.

Two of the remaining five stores never reopened after the July riots in 2021, and the retailer has yet to begin closing down procedures at the other three.

“Two of the five remaining Game stores identified for closure have remained closed since the looting in July 2021, and those staff were re-deployed to other stores,” Massmart told MyBroadband.

“Closure processes have not yet been initiated in the other stores.”

Game only went ahead with the store closures after first trying a franchise-wide turnaround project dubbed Game Reimagined.

“The Game Reimagined project was completed in June this year after 116 Game stores in SA were fully revamped, and the brand was relaunched as part of Game’s Halfway Day promotion on 1 July,” Massmart told MyBroadband.

“Our stores have been revamped to include new categories, such as clothing, new product ranges such as DeLonghi and Nespresso, as well as extending our ranges for our customers to have more options.”

Game provided a list of eight stores at which it would run Everything Must Go sales before permanently closing the sites.

The first eight stores the company will shut down are:

• Game Bel-Air in Northriding, Gauteng
• Game CBD in Cape Town, Western Cape
• Game Gilwell in East London, Eastern Cape
• Game Greenstone in Modderfontein, Gauteng
• Game Hazyview in Mpumalanga
• Game Mall of the South in Johannesburg South, Gauteng
• Game Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal
• Game Westwood Mall in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal

Massmart previously told MyBroadband that it had initiated Section 189 consultations with the 700 affected employees three months before its closure announcement.

“As is always the case, we will apply our best efforts to identify opportunities for redeployment of the affected staff members within the broader Massmart Group,” it said.

After running for over a month, Massmart said Game’s Everything Must Go sales have gone well, with customers showing “an exceptional level of interest” in the doomed stores.

Notably, the retailer hasn’t decided on a final closure date for the underperforming stores.

“Final dates of trading are yet to be determined,” Massmart said. Notably, it specified that it was still consulting with staff to finalise closure dates at the time of its original announcement.

Game said its customers could expect at least 10% off, with limited exclusions, going up to markdowns of 40% on select items at its clearance sales.

MyBroadband visited Game’s Bel-Air store in Northriding and found notable deals on TVs, heaters, fans, kitchen appliances, and smartphones.

108 Game stores open for Black Friday

Massmart announced its Black Friday plans on 1 November 2022, revealing that it is returning to a one-day Black Friday sale and bringing back midnight store openings.

While the retailer initially said most of its 108 sites would be open for the sales events, Massmart told MyBroadband that “108 Game stores remain open and are gearing up for Black Friday and the Festive Season”.

Shoppers can expect major electronics, appliances, homeware, DIY, and outdoor deals this year, which Game said it would announce at the start of the week leading up to Black Friday.

Game vice president Andrew Stein said the retailer decided to return to one-day sales following the success of its Halfway Day sale in June 2022.

“As South Africa’s most Googled retailer for Black Friday for the past three years, this is an important day for our business and our consumers — as they look to find the best possible deals on the items they need and want,” Stein added.

The retailer also mentioned that it had stepped-up its security measures to accommodate the midnight store openings and extended trading hours.

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