In a reversal, GameStop now says that it will close its physical stores to customers starting today.
The company is switching its emphasis to online sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Games can either be delivered or picked up curbside at select stores. That’s according to a pair of reports from Kotaku and Polygon.
Here’s more from Kotaku‘s Jason Schreier:
Shoppers will be able to order games online, by using the GameStop app, or with QR codes at stores. They can then pick the games up curbside at stores that remain open through the coronavirus pandemic. Some states, like California and Nevada, have forced the struggling retailer to shut down its locations entirely, despite GameStop’s protests.
Sherman also said in the letter that GameStop will be giving 80 hours of extra paid time off to those employees at closed or closing stores who are eligible for it, and two extra weeks of pay to those who aren’t.
The CEO emphasized that any employees who do not feel comfortable going to work at stores doing delivery should tell their supervisors accordingly. “We respect that everyone has personal situations and preferences, so your decision will not impact your position with the company,” Sherman wrote.
GameStop caused controversy and calls for a boycott earlier in the week. The company had called itself an “essential” retailer. It had said that it would remain open during the pandemic, even as other non-essential retailers closed their doors.
