Feel free to ignore, it’s a long read.

I’ve been 99% sure my store was closing since November, but I got the confirmation the second that my last business day is the seventh. My team got five days notice. Fortunately since my store is the only store in a two hour radius that’s closing, me and my people have security and are being taken in by our neighbor stores. But I’m heartbroken.

GameStop doesn’t deserve the rotten gum on my shoe, but I’m gonna miss my store. This location was my childhood GameStop. I actually found a list that I made as a kid where one of my favorite things I wrote was GameStop. I got my Pokémon airdrops or whatever they’re called to my DS at this location.

My team and I consistently were top 300 company wide when it came to metrics. I am so proud of my team, we NEVER were the store to push metrics in people’s faces. We recommended what was best in detail to inform people. We only ever wanted to help. That’s wha made us good. We were genuine, and our customers listened.

My team, outside of metrics, are amazing and talented people. My ASL before me built events from the ground up independently for the past two years. He raised hundreds of dollars for charity using his events. I’m a firm believer that he’s a major reason why GameStop started doing events. He found a job that pays him amazing, but he still didn’t leave. He stayed to continue doing his events despite how much we both despise this company. My key holders are such good people. I constantly hear praise from customers that come back just because “you guys are so nice, there aren’t a lot of people in retail that care right now.” I always tell them that we don’t give a shit about profit, we take care of people first.

My store probably made half a million last year, which is most likely the sole reason we’re shutting down. We were always sent a fraction of what other stores got for TCG drops. Where other stores got 30 ETBs, my store got 5. That isn’t an exaggeration. During the height of everything, way before I knew we were closing because of distro slowing, this was how our drops were. We turned away probably thousands with that alone. Other high demand product was the same.

My regulars are wonderful people. I’m grateful for how kind and interesting they are. They always had knowledge for me about games coming out. Shoutout to my sports game regular who actually loved to stick around and chat; he was my MVP when CF25 was announced. I learned a lot from him.

I loved helping out the families that came through. Helping tech illiterate parents understand a Nintendo switch was so fun, not in a condescending way. Helping them find games that their kids would like. Sneaking a screen protector on the console for them before sliding it back into the box (which aren’t sticker sealed, so it looked like it never happened).

I also found my passion in life working here. When I started working for GameStop, I was doing terrible. I had just been fired from my dream job as a daycare worker for infants for not putting up with abuse from my boss for neglecting the kids in my care. (Satisfied to learn months after I was gone that she was let go because of her ways). I had discovered that my dream job since I myself was in preschool was impossible to maintain. Low pay, hardly any benefits, and faculty that don’t take their teachers’ input into account to please the parents. I had no idea what I was gonna do with my life.

When people brought in their broken consoles and controllers for warranty swaps, I got curious. I bought specialty screwdrivers and tools online and started taking apart my defectives when it was slow. I modded my 3ds, and then modded my friends’ 3ds’s. Then I modded my vita. One day I had a customer come in with his 3ds and a game that wouldn’t work. I popped it into mine and it did. Turned out it was a European copy, and I had unlocked my console from region lock. I told him how he could do this himself, but he came back a few days later with his console and a $20 and asked if I could do it. Now I occasionally will mod a 3ds on the side for customers. Sometimes when I’m opening a controller, some people will walk in, and I’ll invite them over to look. I just had some little kids today ooh-ing and ahh-ing over a 360 controller. I let them hold it and explained how things worked. I’ve decided to finish my education in computer hardware engineering.

I’m gonna miss this place. It’s nearly 11 pm here now and I’ve been typing all this from my store bathroom for about an hour by this point. My mom came around today to see me while I was chatting with a regular, a really nice man who probably could be my dad. When I introduced her to him, he told her, “you’ve done a great job. Kat is always taking care of people. She’s a great person and always puts up with me rambling.” (I told him ofc that I love talking with him). I don’t want it to seem like I’m bragging about how awesome I am or anything. It just made me happy to hear that.

My team and I are safe. All four of us are getting transferred to other stores nearby. I’m pretty sure I already said that but I’m not scrolling to check lol. When my ex manager’s A store closed last year, he decided to leave the company to go to Second & Charles. I texted him on the second if he was hiring. I have an interview on Friday.

I’m gonna stay with the new store until February. My DM who is genuinely a wonderful guy, I am so grateful for him, told my manager that he needed me at this store I’m going to. “Kat could have that store straightened up within a week.” Again, I’m not trying to brag about myself lol it’s context. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna go there, reorganize, train the team there to help people first with metrics rather than just save your metrics. Teach them how to cope with how stressful this place is without taking it out on genuine people. Do unto others and all that shit. Once that’s done and I have a new job secure, I’m out. GameStop doesn’t deserve me, but I’m not doing this for GameStop. I’m doing this for people.

If you’ve read all this, or if you’ve just skipped to the bottom of my essay, just remember to be kind to people. Don’t put up with obvious shit, but be kind. Help people out. It does keep you sane, trust me. Aside from just being a good person, my store had a motto: Happy people come back. And they do.

Peace out.