EB Games proposes closure of all NZ stores

Tuesday, 6 January 2026

EB Games has been a fixture of New Zealand’s gaming retail scene for decades.

EB Games New Zealand is understood to be heading towards closure, affecting all stores and staff nationwide.

The company has begun a formal consultation process with staff on a proposal that would see EB Games exit the New Zealand market entirely.

In an internal email seen by Stuff, employees were told the move was “a proposal only and no final decision has been made at this time”.

Under the proposal, all remaining 38 EB Games stores across the country would close, along with the company’s New Zealand distribution operations.

“If the proposal were to proceed, it would mean that all roles within EB Games New Zealand would be disestablished,” the email read, with a phased wind-down expected rather than an immediate shutdown. It’s unclear how many jobs that would mean.

Staff were told the proposal followed a prolonged period of struggling performance, with the company citing years of profit decline and ongoing pressure on the retail sector.

Under the proposal, all EB Games stores across the country would close.

The email added that the New Zealand business recorded a multi-million-dollar loss in the 2024 financial year, with no significant improvement anticipated in the current year.

The New Zealand operation was described as no longer commercially viable, despite repeated efforts to turn the business around.

“While we have considered whether indications of recovery in the broader retail sector through late 2025 and heading into 2026 warrant continuing the business for a further period, this has not materialised in our New Zealand business to date, including through the Christmas trading period,” the email read.

“As a result, we are not confident that there will be a significant lift in performance moving forward.”

EB Games has not publicly announced the proposal. Stuff has sought comment from the company’s New Zealand and Australian operations.

EB Games has been a fixture of New Zealand’s gaming retail scene for decades, operating stores in major shopping centres and city centres nationwide. Its New Zealand business operates under its Australian parent company.