• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

2

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

1

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

2

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
TechThe Mobile Executive

Why GameStop Is Spending Even More on Wireless Push

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 4, 2016, 12:19 PM ET
a Spring Mobile store owned by GameStop.
Photo credit Spring Mobile
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

GameStop’s diversification push is getting more expensive, but it should be, because it’s working.

The leading retailer of video games has long seen that it needed to push into other areas, especially as game publishers developed more online, digital products. So CEO Paul Raines has been looking to expand into similar niche retail markets.

Three years of buying wireless dealer stores has been a big success. GameStop spent $309 million over the past three years through the end of January to collect 1,036 stores that mostly sell AT&T-branded wireless service. A small portion sell AT&T’s Cricket prepaid brand and another small group focuses on servicing Apple’s Mac computer line.

While people still think of the company as dependent on the gaming business, the “roots of that business are that we’re one of the best specialty retailers in the country,” says senior vice president Jason Ellis, who heads GameStop’s technology brands business that runs the AT&T, Cricket, and Mac stores. “What we’re trying to do is diversify the business into some other categories that are similar,” he tells Fortune.

Sales from the three store chains have risen more than eightfold over the past three years, from $63 million to $534 million last year. Sales rose another 62% to $166 million in the first quarter of 2016. The results have added not just to total sales but also helped make GameStop more profitable overall. The wireless stores have higher prices and higher profit margins on sales of mobile and electronic devices. And that helped gross profit as a percentage of sales on mobile and consumer electronics sales increased to 50.3% last year from 36.0% the year before.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

GameStop (GME) has steadily increased its investment each year and its latest deal announced August 2, adding 507 more AT&T dealer stores for close to $475 million, marks the largest single purchase yet. The latest batch of stores are located in 26 states, but concentrated mainly in Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The purchase rolls up three different AT&T (T) dealer chains, Cellular World, Midwest Cellular, and Red Skye Wireless, which will all be integrated into GameStop’s Spring Mobile chain, Ellis says.

“We obviously believe deeply that we’re the best in this space of running wireless dealer stores,” says Ellis.

Investors remain in a wait and see mode, however. Shares of GameStop are up almost 5% so far this year, but have yet to recover from a November plunge after sales dropped last fall. Trading at close to $48 before the fall, GameStop would have to gain almost another 40% from its current level to erase that loss.

The wireless store push isn’t GameStop’s only diversification effort. CEO Raines is also emphasizing collectibles, taking advantage of the nerdy demand for all things Star Wars, Star Trek, and comic book superhero. He’s also going digital, expanding the company’s online gaming service, Kongregate.

AT&T’s recent moves to diversify away from just telecommunications could also aid GameStop. The Spring Mobile stores can sell all of AT&T’s offerings, including connected car service, home security, and DirecTV subscriptions. There’s even been talk of adding Kongregate to DirecTV’s platform. AT&T declined to comment for this story.

That’s all rather timely, as smartphone sales have been slowing. Manufacturers including Apple and Samsung shipped just 678 million smartphones in the first half of this year, an almost invisible 0.2% increase from the same period last year, according to IDC. The stagnation is at least in part due to the end of phone subsidies for U.S. smartphone buyers, who now have to pay full freight when they get a new phone. Upgrade rates have plummeted at all the major U.S. carriers as subscribers have been holding onto their phones for longer.

For more about the next iPhone, watch:

Ellis says a lack of compelling new features in recent upgrades from the top smartphone manufacturers may be to blame as well. “Everyone would agree that the innovations have kind of slowed for the last two or three devices that have come out,” he says. But he’s expecting substantial pent up demand for the next cycle. Apple is expected to release its latest line of upgraded iPhones next month.

Now with over 1,400 AT&T wireless stores in the fold, a resurgence in smartphone sales would be a big help to get GameStop’s investors back on board.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang denies the chip boom will go bust soon and actually utters the infamous phrase ‘this time is different’
Big TechSemiconductors
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang denies the chip boom will go bust soon and actually utters the infamous phrase ‘this time is different’
By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026
2 hours ago
Sam Altman speaking to reporters.
AIOpenAI
AI safety experts say OpenAI’s rogue models may mean the company has already blown past its own internal red lines
By Beatrice NolanJuly 25, 2026
2 hours ago
DeepSeek said to tell backers of funding pause after viral posts
AIfunding round
DeepSeek said to tell backers of funding pause after viral posts
By Haze Fan, Pei Li and BloombergJuly 25, 2026
4 hours ago
SpaceX’s Starship V3 deploys most advanced Starlink satellites then pulls off best re-entry yet with splashdown so soft it floated in the Indian Ocean
Innovationspace
SpaceX’s Starship V3 deploys most advanced Starlink satellites then pulls off best re-entry yet with splashdown so soft it floated in the Indian Ocean
By Marcia Dunn and The Associated PressJuly 25, 2026
4 hours ago
Inside On’s tech lab, where robots build running shoes in 3 minutes and can eliminate up to 300 hours of human work
C-SuiteSportswear
Inside On’s tech lab, where robots build running shoes in 3 minutes and can eliminate up to 300 hours of human work
By Ruth UmohJuly 25, 2026
5 hours ago
Can Apple’s incoming CEO bring back the product design mojo of the Steve Jobs era?
MagazineApple
Can Apple’s incoming CEO bring back the product design mojo of the Steve Jobs era?
By Sebastian HerreraJuly 25, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
2 days ago
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
3 days ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
8 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
10 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 24, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.