Target Increases Focus On Video Games With Increased Floorspace

Big box retailer Target said Monday that it would be revamping its video game and electronics section, as the company aims to compete more directly with chains such as Best Buy. The company said it will be increasing floorspace by almost 30 percent in its electronics department and opening up the area to provide a better shopping experience for video game buyers. The changes began to roll out last month, with the majority of Target stores expected to have adopted the layout by June 2010. The department revamp also means that video games will now be out in the open. Many big box retailers such as Walmart keep the video games under lock and key due to shoplifting concerns. Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas told Gamasutra that the new areas will feature fixtures that allow consumers to access the front and back of game packages from the shelf, without the aid of a Target attendant. But the games will still be locked in the shelf fixtures and require an employee to unlock a game. The open space gives the electronics department more of a GameStop feel, but the similarities stop from a layout standpoint. "We don’t have any plans to go into the used game business," said Thomas. The majority of Target's new video game departments will also feature a new video game learning center that will feature a 40-inch high definition touch screen television that will feature game reviews, features and ESRB rating access. There will also be trial stations where gamers can demo games. "We want our guests to think of Target first with thinking of video games and electronics," Thomas said. The company also said it would enhance its TV, camera and camcorder sections, and begin to sell Amazon's Kindle device.