UK specialist store count plummets to 795

There are less than 800 specialist games stores on the UK High Street, according to MCV research.

While GAME has maintained its store count of just over 320, HMV and Blockbuster saw their retail footprints decimated when the two High Street chains fell into administration earlier this year.

Blockbuster lost more than half of its stores, bringing last year’s count of 560 outlets down to 264 today. HMV’s 235 stores has fallen to just 141.

It means the number of GAME, HMV, Grainger Games and Blockbuster outlets has plummeted from 1,205 to 795.

It’s the first time the UK’s specialist store count has dropped below 1,000 in several years. But this number doesn’t factor in the slight increase in independent retailers.

Meanwhile, supermarkets continue to expand. There are now more than 5,200 supermarkets spread across the UK. A figure that was closer to 4,500 at the same point last year.