Press releases
City lifestyle migrates to seaside towns
05/03/2004
Europe’s leading video games chain, GAME, is to start rapidly opening new stores in seaside locations around the UK.
The expansion move has been prompted by the increasing exodus of “early adopters” (the wealthy 20 and 30-somethings so vital to all hi-tech markets), away from the cities in search of a more tranquil lifestyle.
The company’s largest single property initiative for years, the chain will open 25 stores in just 8 weeks during Spring 2004, the majority of which will be in seaside or rural market towns.
The first was in Newton Abott, Devon on 27 February. Stores in towns such as Bangor (N.Wales) and Boscombe (nr. Bournemouth) will open shortly after.
According to research from Sheffield Hallam University*, the total population of seaside towns has risen 12%, compared to the 6% increase nationally. The report states that this is down to a ‘residential preference’ – people want to live by the sea.
GAME’s own research shows a 26% rise in customer numbers in some South West stores over the last year** (from it’s 4.5 million customer database).
The GAME data shows a strong increase in the number of customers in existing seaside stores such as Penzance and Brighton, and highlights the success of a trial last year to open stores in Exmouth, and in market towns including Buxton and Grantham.
As the housing boom continues to grow, ‘young’ buyers are realising the appeal of moving outside city locations. Not least because lower property prices allow more money to be spent on gadgets and electronics, such as plasma TV screens, digital TV recorders, surround sound systems, and games consoles such as PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
Stephen Boyce, Property Director said “Seaside towns used to be thought of as places where teenagers crowd around the arcades. Not any more.”
“Increasingly, young professionals are looking to move to quieter areas, but still have access to all their usual hi-tech shops and trendy restaurants and bars. Our stores will provide all the latest games and DVD films, and we’re moving quickly to serve customers in towns which have previously not had a specialist games store.”
“GAME is expanding fast. Within 3 months we’ll have more than 380 stores in the UK & Eire. This will allow us to serve more customers than ever before.”
-ends-
* Research published by Steve Fothergill and Christina Beatty, Sheffield Hallam University, June 2003.
** GAME stores in the South West saw a 26% increase in the number of shoppers (male and female) from December 2002 to December 2003.
About GAME
GAME is Europe's leading specialist retailer of computer software and video games. The Group currently operates from over 350 stores in the UK and Eire, 35 GAME stores in Sweden, over 90 CentroMAIL stores in Spain and around 60 GAME stores in France. It also offers an on-line shopping service.
Since 2000, by value, the games market has grown 400%, whilst GAME has outpaced this figure and grown operating profit by 800%, over the same period of time.
For further corporate information log onto www.gamegroup.plc.uk, and for the new look on-line store log onto www.game.net
For further details please contact:
Simon Soffe / Lisa Artemis – GAME PR Dept
01344 464442 / 464512
