Game on for Brighton staff of troubled store group

Sixteen staff at two Brighton shops are waiting to learn whether they will be able to keep their jobs.

Their employer, Game Group, went into administration on Wednesday (28 March) and has posted revised terms and conditions in the window of its store in Western Road, Brighton. Game also has a shop in the Churchill Square Shopping Centre in Brighton.

Six staff lost their jobs with the closure of the Gamestation shop in Western Road on Monday (26 March). Gamestation was part of the same company.

Mike Jervis, of accountancy Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), has been appointed as the administrator of the business, giving it formal protection from its creditors.

Mr Jervis is expected to try to keep the computer games stores trading while a buyer is sought for the business.

PWC hopes to have finalised any deal or deals within two to three months, a spokesman said.

Reports in the financial press suggested that up to half of the company’s 610 shops may shut. The least profitable stores, including the Brighton branch of Gamestation, were closed immediately. Staff at the two Brighton stores are unsure whether they will be affected by any future closures.

When HMV was in a similar position just over a year ago, it closed its store in Western Road and kept its Churchill Square branch.

A member of staff at one of Game’s two Brighton stores said: “Nobody here knows what’s going to happen. It’s been hard because our suppliers haven’t let us have some of the big new releases.

“Obviously we’re hoping they will be able to save the business but at the moment we’re just trying to get on with our jobs.”