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WWW.MCVUK.COM
NEWS
CHIPS relaunches online store New site offers DVDs, CDs and books as well as games Firm ditches pre-owned from online offerings by Chris Dring THE UK’S largest independent games retailer, CHIPS, has re-launched its ecommerce website with the product offering expanded to include DVDs, CDs and books. The site, which also boasts a new design, no longer features pre-owned stock or mobile phone downloads. And CHIPS’
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on price,” McCabe told MCV. “We believe this new site is an evolution of how people shop online. We used to put up a lot of information for each product, but nowadays gamers go to Gamespot, CVG or MCV for all their information needs; so we’ve stripped that down a bit. “Our High Street stores give us an added advantage against
We hope that through the site we can drive people in store and vice versa. It’s a great way for us to utilise all of our channels. Don McCabe, CHIPS
joint MD Don McCabe hopes that the new web portal will be able to compete more closely with the likes of Play and Amazon. “People expect to buy games cheaper on the internet, and so we’re being more competitive
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our competitors. We hope that through the site we can drive people in store and vice versa. It would be ideal if a customer who buys online then visits one of our shops to trade the product back in. It’s a great way for us to utilise all of our channels.
CHIPSWORLD: The chain’s new web store boasts a new look and a new product mix
“DVDs, books and CDs are clearly very significant additions,” he continued. “And we have got a great offer
EEK W E H T F O N CAMPAIG The UK’s second-biggest games specialist chain has a big marketing push – based around the Fat Chris character – planned to support its Christmas offers this year… GAMESTATION’S latest Christmas campaign kicked off last month, with special offers backed by extensive TV, print and online advertising. Utilising the ‘Fat Chris’ brand, Gamestation is running a series of ‘half-price hero’ offers including Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, Sonic Unleashed and Fable II for £19.99. The firm has also re-launched its Christmas Advent Calendar – which proved very successful after its debut last year – with a new deal running every day until December 24th. “Gamestation has launched a high impact marketing campaign aimed at delivering
Gamestation is running a series of ‘half-price hero’ offers, discounting key titles to £19.99, and is promoting the deals heavily
on these products. We’ll also be selling other items, which we’ll unveil in the near future.”
The new CHIPS website is live now, and can be found at www.chipsworld.co.uk. CHIPS: 0844 880 5684
N GAMESTATIO ‘gaming for less’ to all our customers, with the help of our friend Fat Chris,” said Gamestation’s head of marketing Emma Kitching. “We have two months of below-the-line activity in store, with new Christmas creativeS, and an integrated media campaign focusing on pushing our brand and value message through TV, press and online.” Along with the advent calendar and half-price hero offers, a new Fat Chris TV commercial is set to appear every week in the run-up to Christmas promoting the deals. Creatives are also set to appear on YouTube, along with in the national press and in specialist magazines and websites. Through the campaign, Gamestation is
hoping to appeal to both its hardcore gaming customer and the emerging casual sector too. “Our core customer base of hardcore and casual gamers remain at the heart of all our marketing communications, but we recognise that at this time of year the market welcomes a much broader audience. And as such we’ve tailored our campaign to suit all our potential customers,” concluded Kitching.