GAME has filed notice of intention to appoint administrators with its final three standalone stores expected to close in April 2026, but the retailer will continue operating through 200 concession outlets
A prominent high street retailer is on the brink of appointing administrators. GAME, a specialist in video games, consoles, accessories and gaming merchandise, recently filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.
This move initiates a 10-day period during which creditors are temporarily barred from taking enforcement action whilst potential solutions are explored. According to Express, the company’s last three standalone stores are anticipated to shut their doors in April 2026.
The high street business previously went into administration in 2012 before being salvaged several years later, enabling it to continue trading under new ownership. In 2019, Sports Direct, now known as Frasers Group, acquired the company in a £52million deal.
The takeover was intended to provide stability for the retailer, but financial strains persisted. Despite this investment, the company gradually diminished its high street footprint and downsized its workforce, with the majority of head office staff made redundant in August 2024, reports the Mirror.
The retailer will maintain operations through concession outlets within other Frasers Group businesses. Approximately 200 locations currently operate within Sports Direct and House of Fraser stores, preserving a physical presence even as standalone sites close.
At the beginning of 2024, the firm pulled out of the pre-owned market, a sector that had previously boosted income through trade-ins and second-hand transactions. Later in the year, it scrapped its Xbox All Access service and wound down its customer loyalty scheme.
The broader gaming retail industry has encountered difficulties as shoppers increasingly turn to online purchases and digital downloads through subscription platforms, rather than purchasing physical copies in shops.
Alongside the administration proceedings, management restructuring is occurring within the business. Managing director Nick Arran is departing after nine years at the helm.
Arran brings extensive expertise in physical media retail, having formerly been employed at HMV, Blockbuster and ShopTo.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, he said: “Gaming is our core business and we will be last man standing selling physical video games.
“We see our place in the market as proving that there is a place for physical, whether that be the collector’s editions, which we see as the vinyl of video games, or the gifter who doesn’t want to wrap up a download code for Christmas. But we need to be realistic. We have a business to run and the expectation is this will decline. So we need to fill that gap.
“Expect more locations from us. We are constantly in talks with Frasers Group about where we could open up more concessions.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.