This article is about the ‘game group’, world largest game retailer. Tough the whole gaming industry is having a hard time the loses of the game group where bigger than expected. The most important reason is the competition of supermarkets and other retailers. The game group had to give a lot of benefits and promotions to his customers. Ian Shepherd, the new CEO of the game group is not sure if the game industry will recover soon in spite of the new motion-sensitive controllers of Sony and Microsoft. In addition of on-line game selling, Ian Shepherd hopes to turn the tide with his loyalty card. In their comment, the financial times is not very sure the efforts will help and advises investors to hold off.
I think the article is a good example of how company’s use customer loyalty for helping them through the crises. In hard times, keeping the customers seems really important. I think this is because keeping your customers is cheaper than finding new ones through big promotional activities.
Bob Dossche
I think Ian Sheppard is worrying about nothing because I am convinced that the gaming industry will certainly get back on its feet when consumers don’t fear that they are going to lose their job.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenYou might wonder why I think that? It is quite simple you will always have your strong fan base of teenagers. They will spend regardless of the economical climate, as long as parents don’t cut on their ‘present budget’. Most teenagers get videogames from their parents for their birthdays. In recent years however there was a steep incline in sales from ordinary families who bought family gaming consoles like the Wii. Therefore I think that the golden age of gaming industry is behind us. Nevertheless as games get old people will want new games. On top of that there are countries like Brasil where the economy is booming and the middle-class is also booming. Those new middle-class parents will buy their kids video games. In conclusion I think their problem will solve itself.
Frederick Dobbelaere
Hi!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think Frederick is right about the fact that the golden age of gaming industry is over, but that there are still many gaming teenagers. I’m not a gamer myself, but my 15-year old brother is. Sometimes it is just crazy how much money he is willing to spend on a game or how he knows the release dates of new games by heart.
I think that a loyalty card system is a good idea. Especially in times of crisis like now, when people could really use discounts or advantages.
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