One of Swansea’s top retailers is celebrating the news that it has been saved from closure.
Popular video game store Game will remain open at the city’s busy Quadrant Shopping Centre in a move which will secure eight jobs.
The news was greeted with mixed reactions by staff who were delighted for their shoppers but expressed their sympathy for colleagues in other stores elsewhere who had lost their jobs.
Chris Williams, assistant manager of the store, said: “We are really pleased for all our loyal customers that the store is staying open.
“We’ve have been bought by OpCapita on Sunday and we’ve just had the news that we’re going ot be staying open and that there are no plans to close this store.
“We are one of the busiest Game stores in the region and we’re happy at the news but obviously devastated for our colleagues at Gamestation in the city centre.
“People in Swansea have been so supportive to us and it has really kept us going and kept us motivated. They have been coming in and asking how things are going and sending us their best wishes and it has really helped.
“I would like to take this opportunity to really thank them for their support because it has meant a lot to us.”
Annalisa Johnson, marketing manager for the Quadrant Centre, said: “We are delighted for the Centre and for our shoppers that Game is staying open because they are an integral part of the many varied retailers we have here at the shopping centre.
“It is a large business which a lot of people rely on for their employment so we are also very pleased for the eight people who are keeping their jobs.
“Our thoughts are with the people outside of the Quadrant Centre who have unfortunately lost their jobs and it must be a very uncertain and difficult time for them.
“But the positive news we have here in Swansea underlines the very significant and positive developments which continue to happen at the shopping centre.”
The sale of the Game Group to OpCapita, who recently bought the Comet Group, for £1 has saved a total of 3,200 jobs at 333 stores, administrators revealed.
The UK operations of the chain, which trades as Game and Gamestation, went into administration last week, triggering 277 shop closures and 2,104 redundancies.
Chris Williams added: “This has actually been a very busy time for us with the school holidays this week – trade has really been phenomenal with the new Star Wars game out.
“We’re in a good spot with two universities here and school and colleges and the central bus station next door.
“The prospects for the game industry are really good. The next generation of consoles is due now and we’ll be seeing new Playstations and X-Boxes and the new Wii will be out later this year.”
