Software Etc. store closes
Software Etc. has closed their Columbia Mall store. I was shopping in the mall on Thursday night and I was surprised to see the store dark and empty. I remember shopping in the store back in the mid 90s. That's when my family first got a computer and I was very interested in software. I can't say I've been in the store for years now. Still, it's too bad to see a long-time tenant leave. Since the Software Etc. chain is now owned by the GameStop Corporation and since we now have two GameStop locations within a half-mile radius of the mall, I'm guessing that's why they chose to close this store.
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I wonder if the Software Etc. stores are closing in favor of Gamestop across the board (if you Google Software Etc., you get Gamestop.com). I'm not aware that either business had more customers than the other from the times I have visited.
Gamestop certainly has more visibility with the strip mall arrangement, but then we're really seeing a driver driven marketing scheme. Does that sales strategy suggest people aren't smart or patient enough, or are too lazy, to find out what's inside a mall? They need explicit visual stimuli and immediate access? And God forbid they'd have to walk past other stores to get where they're going!
It's likely that the space will be replaced with a "laser hair removal" store/spa. There are also negotiations to move the ballcap store/kiosk into that space.
I wonder if the high-visibility strategy will really work. It's all about price these days.
Most of the times I've stopped by software or DVD stores at the mall, they're always way overpriced compared to the big boxes, such as BestBuy. Maybe mall rent is higher because there's all that space to heat. Maybe the little guys just can't match the volume.
Yeah, Software Etc has been closing stores. The parent corporation has been closing stores in favor of GameStop.
There's a new game store on south wash as well, rock 30 games. I stopped in there once in their first store in jamestown and they have way more inventory. Lots of the older systems, which is what I'm interested in. I like supporting a local (state) business better than a national chain anyways.
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