BRICKS AND MORTAR STORES NEED TO GET REAL

I have lost count of the time that I have gone into a high street game store only to be confronted by prices that are simply a mockery.

In an age where you can save a small fortune buying games online, I am always amazed by the prices charged for some games.  I don't want to name names here, but many so called specialist game stores have a pricing policy that beggars belief.  There does not seem to be any cohesion with the prices at all.  I have come across old games that are being charged at £44.99 and brand new titles at £39.99.  How does that work?  Surely the idea is that the price of games should come down the older they are not actually go up in price?

Of course you can occasionally pick up a bargain but they tend to be few and far between.  In another store that uses a catalogue ordering system I have witnessed prices of games in excess of the RRP and again this seems to apply to older games that should be being sold on the cheap.  I cannot believe for a single moment that there would be people who would be happy to pay £49.99 for Prototype on the PS3 or £47.99 for Modern Warfare 2.  The same store is selling Fall Out New Vegas for £34.99.  Where is the sense?

I get fed up of reading articles or listening to owners of these high street stores moan about how poor their sales are.  Already we are seeing many stores closing outlets as the economic situation bites, but the sheer fact that their pricing policy is not competitive by any stretch of the imagination is why they are struggling.

As usual it is the staff on the front line that pay the price when these stores close.  People end up being made redundant not through any fault of their own, but by the stupid and mindless way the big bosses of the companies choose to run them.

I still want to support these stores.  I do prefer to buy the bulk of my games in a bricks and mortar outlets than online.  I do occasionally like to get out the front door and browse around to see what there is, you know just in case there are any bargains.  However times are coming where I simply will not be able to justify doing this unless something is done to address the issue of prices.

Internet shopping is here to stay.  The owners of these high street stores know this.  After all, they have online shopping divisions as well.  It is time they wised up and gave their outlets and their staff a chance.  They should give the consumer a choice as well, after what have they lose if they are already having to downsize their operations?