US: Pre-owned boosts GameStop sales

Aggressive marketing of used software has helped US retailer GameStop defy the economic slowdown,

The Wall Street Journal reports.

Citing Pacific Crest Securities data, pre-owned game sales is expected to reach $2 billion, or 23 per cent of GameStop’s revenue for its fiscal year ending January 31st. This is up from $1.6 billion, or 22.4 per cent of revenue that was posted in 2007.

Earlier in the month GameStop report a 22 per cent jump in sales for the Christmas period ending January 3rd, compared to the same period the year before.

"Nobody else has that used-games draw," said Telsey Advisory Group retail analyst Joseph Feldman.

"Once you have played a game a while and it loses its value, GameStop is pretty much the only place where you can get something for it, and that’s a big deal in this economy."