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Gamestop Plays to Win

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Submitted By carolcraig123
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Strategic Case 6:
Gamestop Plays to Win
Carol Craig
Wayne County Community College
July 30, 2014

Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Role of Physical Distribution in Retailing Strategy 3
Dual Distribution and Gamestop’s Marketing Efforts 4
Time, Place, Possession, and Form Utility 4
Game Vending Machines on College Campuses 5

Introduction Gamestop was founded in 1996 as a specialty retailer of new and used video game hardware and software. They have 6,600 stores in 17 countries and stock popular video game consoles and accessories from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, plus thousands of games. They have a highly aggressive retail strategy with goals to open 400 new stores every year. With the current marketing strategy and business plan, Gamestop rings up $9 billion in annual sales. They sell to customers in traditional brick and mortar buildings, as well as, online sales.( Pride, W. M., & Ferrell, O. C. (2014). Marketing. Retailing, Direct Marketing, and Wholesaling, 16, 553.)
Role of Physical Distribution in Retailing Strategy
Physical distribution is the set of activities concerned with efficient movement of finished goods from the end of the production operation to the consumer. Physical distribution takes place within numerous wholesaling and retailing distribution channels, and includes such important decision areas as customer service, inventory control, materials handling, protective packaging, order procession, transportation, warehouse site selection, and warehousing. Physical distribution is part of a larger process called "distribution," which includes wholesale and retail marketing, as well the physical movement of products.( http://www.answers.com/topic/physical-distribution.)
Gamestop has two distribution centers. They have a 400,000 square foot distribution center in Grapevine, Texas that supplies stock to its U.S. stores. A 260,000 square foot

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