GameStop Reopened Retail Locations
The retailer has begun reopening select storefronts after closing hundreds of locations during the 2025 fiscal year.
Updated on Sept. 18, 2026 in Retail
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GameStop has started reopening select retail locations, beginning with a store in Brooklyn, Ohio, on September 11, 2026. This move follows the closure of 590 stores in the U.S. during the previous fiscal year as the company works to adapt its business model.
Why it matters
The shift in store strategy follows a broader corporate effort to optimize the retail portfolio and reduce costs. The company is actively adjusting its focus toward trading cards and collectibles, which currently represent a significant portion of its total sales.
GameStop operated 2,086 U.S. stores as of January 27, 2026, after closing 590 locations during the 2025 fiscal year. Trading cards and collectibles now account for 45.1 percent of the company's total sales.
The players
Ryan Cohen
He is the CEO of GameStop who recently purchased 1 million shares of the company stock.
Alain Attal
He is a member of the GameStop board who purchased 5,000 shares of company stock.
The details
The retailer initiated a portfolio optimization review to better align its physical footprint with modern shopping habits. In a related move to signal confidence, CEO Ryan Cohen purchased 1 million shares of stock, while board member Alain Attal acquired an additional 5,000 shares.
Timeline
January 27, 2026: GameStop operated 2,086 stores in the U.S.
September 10, 2026: CEO Ryan Cohen purchased 1 million company shares.
September 11, 2026: The company began reopening select retail stores.
Market Landscape
The current corporate pivot represents an effort to stabilize the business following the extreme market volatility experienced during the 2021 meme-stock craze. These operational changes position the company to compete more directly in the specialized market for trading cards and collectibles.
Customers in the Brooklyn, Ohio area may find newly reopened stores active in their community. For shoppers elsewhere, the company's strategic focus on collectibles suggests an evolving product mix in physical retail locations.
The takeaway
The return to physical expansion, while limited, suggests a shift in how the company evaluates the utility of its storefronts. Investors and shoppers alike should watch if this focus on collectibles successfully counters the recent decline in share price.
Further reading
For more on the shifting physical footprint of national chains, see Retail.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Independent.
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