When the COVID-19 pandemic began in Stockton early last year, GameStop on Hammer Lane had to close until further notice.
Despite being a chain, the employees didn’t think they would ever be able to go back to work. But against the odds, GameStop Hammer Lane found its’s doors back open in June 2020, with a new approach to delivering to customers.
The GameStop Hammer Lane staff were relieved when they were able to return back to work.
“The sudden boom in the popularity of video games is one of the reasons we were able to come back to work,” said Store Manager Brandon Webster.
He found himself looking for potential new jobs during the time non-essential businesses in Stockton were closed. The lack of certainty in being able to ever return to his job drove him mad. Brandon genuinely enjoys what he does at work, so losing that would have made him incredibly sad.
“Regardless of us being a chain, we [Gamestop Staff] were fortunate enough to be able to return to our jobs. A lot of other people during this pandemic were nowhere near as fortunate,” said Webster.
Gamestop Hammer Lane (like most if not all reopened retail) provided new safety guidelines for employees and customers. No more than six customers can enter the facility at a time (regardless of people being in groups).
Webster is reassuringly strict on this rule, as he makes sure no more customers than the store limit enter at a time. He does this by locking the front entrance whenever a new customer comes in. With this method, he ensures his customers a safe shopping experience. Along with reduced operating hours, Plexiglas installation at the counter, and hand sanitizers for guests, the staff tried to make electronic shopping as safe as possible.
Webster and his staff are very thankful that they can keep their jobs and continue to provide customers with great deals on games and information on upcoming releases.