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GameStop Canada bought by Quebec toy maker, to be rebranded EB Games (www.ctvnews.ca)

submitted 1 week ago by NotSteve_@lemmy.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca

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TORONTO — GameStop Canada says it has been acquired by French-Canadian entrepreneur Stephan Tetrault from the video game retailer’s struggling parent company.

Officially named Electronics Boutique Canada Inc., GameStop Canada says it will relaunch its 185 stores as EB Games Canada — a name associated with retail gaming from bygone decades.

Tetrault is the founder of Montreal-area-based toy manufacturer Imports Dragon and co-owner of American action figure-maker McFarlane Toys, and last month became a partner at Canadian chain Mastermind Toys.

U.S.-based GameStop Corp. said in February it was looking to sell its Canadian and French operations as it evaluates its international assets and doubles down on cost-cutting.

GameStop was one of the companies at the centre of the “meme stock” craze on Wall Street, which saw struggling brands’ share prices soar as retail investors made risky bets.

Its sales last year declined 27 per cent to $3.82 billion, though net income shot up to $131.3 million versus $6.7 million in 2023.

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[-] DicJacobus@lemmy.world 40 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Bizzarro world enters its next chapter.

Im almost at the point that Im too old to even remember, but I remember EB games being far more prevalent in Canada , almost every location that is currentley a Gamestop, I remember being an EB games.

Oddly enough, I also remember going to an EB Games in the US in the early to mid 00s, I was a stupid kid who had previously bought Half Life 2 back home but couldnt figure out how to launch it, So I had retunred the game to the store and bought something else. (steam was new back then). and after 20 mins of conversation they made me realize there was an activation window for putting your CD Key in. So I bought my second copy of HL2 in the US, And a week later when I got home, I was able to successfully activate it.

Wherever you are, random teenager who was working at the king of prussia mall, you opened pandoras box for me, but thank you.

edit - Upon looking at the wiki page, I had no idea EB games actually originated in King of Prussia PA , I just happened to be visiting there when my Uncle lived nearby in the 2000s, thats super coincidental

[-] Someone@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Clearly it was different elsewhere, but in BC (or at the very least on the Island) the GameStop name didn't show up until very recently. As in, you could walk into an EB Games and walk out with a PS5.
Edit: I forgot you couldn't really find them in store around launch but my point stands.