Long queues formed outside EB Games stores across New Zealand on Thursday as closing-down sales began following the company’s decision to exit the local market.
As reported by Karanama Ruru and Eva Gallot of Stuff, a letter sent to staff on Wednesday and seen by Stuff stated that the company had “regrettably” decided to disestablish all roles and shut all 38 remaining stores, with January 31 confirmed as the final day of trading.
The clearance sale, which began at 1 pm on Thursday, offered discounts of up to 50% on all items, including $3 retro stock. Scenes from stores in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch showed large crowds lining up for hours to get inside.
According to Stuff, at the New Lynn store in Auckland, worker Desmond Alexander said customers were being “civilised and patient,” despite more than 200 people queuing around Lynn Mall.
At the Glenfield store, one shopper, who asked not to be named as he was meant to be at work, said shelves were already stripped bare when doors opened. “All the hardware looked to be off the shelves before they opened. I had a look, all the headsets and keyboards on the back wall were off the shelf, and none of the console boxes were displaying,” he said, Karanama Ruru and Eva Gallot of Stuff has quoted.
He also expressed sadness for the employees affected by the closure. “They’re so awesome, super geeks and knowledgeable on everything, it’s the perfect job for so many of them. They’re always so kind and helpful, and it’s such a nice feel good exciting store to visit,” as quoted by Stuff.
Another customer at Glenfield said they had tried their luck at the Albany store, only to find an even longer line, with “traffic stuffed all around the block,” Stuff has quoted.
The rush was also felt online, with the company’s website, ebgames.co.nz, placing users in a virtual queue as demand surged. Visitors were told to expect varying wait times, ranging from 19 minutes for one reporter to as long as three hours and 15 minutes for another, Stuff has reported.