GameStop launches Facebook store

In the past year, GameStop has made its digital presence known. In 2010, GameStop purchased Flash game hub Kongregate, and last week the Grapevine, Texas, specialty retailer made surprise purchases of Stardock's Impulse digital delivery platform, as well as streaming tech company Spawn Labs. Now, the company is pushing deeper digitally.

GameStop has teamed with Adgregate Markets and its ShopFans e-commerce technology and has launched a new GameStop virtual marketplace on the hugely popular social networking destination Facebook.

The GameStop Facebook store allows e-shoppers to shop for games and locate stores as they would on GameStop.com. Further, the page lets consumers use and collect PowerUp rewards, GameStop's loyalty and purchase incentive program.

Adgregate Markets COO John Underwood told Industry Gamers this week that his company approached GameStop to pitch the idea "about six months ago." The executive also said it plans to continue to flesh out the Facebook store's functionality, which includes the possibility of implementing digital distribution.

"We expect to continue innovating with their store, and I would expect to roll out new features; certainly digital distribution is something we're ready to do if they are as well," he said.

GameStop recently posted a record annual financial haul. Full-year figures were strong, with the chain's fiscal 2010 going down as its biggest campaign to date, with total sales reaching a new high of $9.47 billion, up 4.3 percent from fiscal 2009's take of $9.08 billion. The year also saw the company gain traction with its own digital distribution efforts, selling $290 million of downloadable content for consoles and PCs, up 61 percent from 2009. The company also posted its highest ever net earnings for the year, finishing $408 million in the black.