As EB Games Canada prepares to relaunch under new ownership, few people have a deeper perspective on the brand’s journey than Jim Tyo, who has been with the company through multiple transitions over three decades.
“I’ve been here since the very beginning. I think I’m the second employee,” said Tyo, who has served as president of the Canadian division through multiple ownership changes. “I’ve seen it all, but this is pretty wonderful—to get back to what I feel are our roots.”
The company, which will revert from GameStop Canada to its former EB Games Canada branding following its recent acquisition by Quebec entrepreneur Stephan Tetrault, is preparing for a significant transformation of its 185 stores nationwide. The change comes at a pivotal moment for physical retail, particularly in the gaming sector where digital distribution has become dominant.
While video games remain central to the retailer’s identity, a striking shift has occurred in its merchandise mix. The company’s collectibles business has grown into a $100 million operation with year-over-year growth exceeding 30 percent—a transformation that represents both strategic foresight and a reconnection with its community roots.
“Yesterday, it represented over 55 percent of the sales mix in our stores,” Tyo said during the interview with 6ix Retail, highlighting the fundamental changes reshaping the business. Trading cards in particular have emerged as a surprising growth category. “Trading cards have become almost as large as video game releases,” he noted, adding that the company is considering midnight launch events for card releases—a practice previously reserved for major video game debuts.
This strategic pivot toward collectibles began approximately a decade ago, as the company sought to differentiate itself from other entertainment retailers that failed to adapt to digital distribution. “I think Blockbuster was a great company, a great brand name,” Tyo said. “I kind of made a promise to myself that we wouldn’t do that. We wouldn’t go down the same path.”
The company began expanding into larger format EBX stores, designed to blend video games and collectibles. “We started to see a lot of cross shopping,” Tyo explained. “A lot of gamers really have an interest in the collectible side of it.”
For the company, Toronto represents both its historical foundation and a significant portion of its current business. Of its 185 Canadian locations, 26 stores—approximately 14 percent of the chain—operate in the Greater Toronto Area.
“In 1993, five of the first seven stores were opened in Toronto,” Tyo explained. “The very first store was opened at Fairview, then Upper Canada, Scarborough Town Centre and Pickering Town Centre.”
The company’s flagship Yonge Street location in downtown Toronto will be among the first to receive investment and updated branding. “We’re going to invest in it,” Tyo said. “Strategically closing the Eaton Centre location was so that we could invest more in Yonge Street, not only to refresh but to enhance the in-section brand experience as well.”
Despite the industry-wide shift toward digital distribution, Tyo insists that physical retail remains valuable for creating community connections that online shopping cannot replicate. “There’s a community at play when you buy physically,” he said. “The relationship that our stores have with our customers is unlike anything else. They share a passion, they learn from each other, they help drive our purchase decisions.”
This community focus has helped the retailer attract customers across its merchandise categories. Tyo described witnessing customers who initially came for collectibles end up purchasing gaming hardware: “I’ve witnessed this firsthand in a store where somebody came in to buy a Funko, and they ended up buying their PS5 from us.”
He also pointed to the continued demand for physical games, noting that “Grand Theft Auto V, released 12 years ago, still ranked number 18 on our top 100 last year, and we sold over 17,000 copies.”
While embracing physical retail, the company acknowledges the need for technological improvement. “We haven’t invested enough in our customer-facing technology,” Tyo admitted. “Our priority is to bring a better online experience and a better in-store experience to our customers through technology.”
Two key initiatives are planned: enhanced buy online, pick up in-store capabilities and a ship-from-store system. “We have 185 stores, each of them with very unique product—product you can’t get on Amazon because of our used selection,” he explained. “Imagine 185 little warehouses that we’re able to ship quickly through local carriers to our consumers.”
For Tyo and his team, the return to the EB Games name represents a reconnection with the company’s Canadian identity. “The EB Games brand is iconic in Canada, we feel it’s our brand, proudly Canadian,” he emphasized, noting that this sentiment was a major factor in the team’s enthusiasm for the rebranding.
The rebranding will begin with flagship locations across the country, including Yonge Street in Toronto, Montreal Eaton Centre, West Edmonton Mall, and Metropolis in Vancouver. The company aims to have these locations rebranded before the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 launch.
“We want to ignite some passion put our flag back in the ground and declare that we’re homegrown,” Tyo said.
The acquisition by Tetrault, who recently became a partner at Mastermind Toys and is known for his work with toy manufacturers Imports Dragon and McFarlane Toys, brings specialized expertise to the business. “We’ve never had an owner before that’s as passionate about this industry,” Tyo said. “Everything he does is with passion, purpose and enthusiasts in mind.”
This enthusiasm is translating into renewed marketing investment. “We are going to commit more marketing funds to driving awareness for the business,” Tyo confirmed. He reminisced about past events that brought tanks and helicopters to Yonge-Dundas Square for Call of Duty launches, suggesting a return to high-profile promotional activities.
Looking ahead, Tyo identified Toronto’s multicultural character as a significant opportunity. “It’s the most multicultural city, if not in the world, close,” he said. “We welcome more new Canadians to Toronto than any other city in Canada. Part of our focus is to welcome everybody to the video game and toys and collectibles business.”
The company plans to create targeted marketing campaigns for the diverse Toronto market, while focusing on stabilizing its physical footprint rather than reducing it. “We’re looking to stabilize, not shrink,” Tyo stated. “The goal is to invest in stores, not close them.”
The company estimates the rebranding process will take approximately six months, with an initial focus on high-profile locations. Beyond signage changes, plans include enhanced experiential areas in stores and a revamped loyalty program slated for late 2025.
For gaming and collectibles enthusiasts, the revival of EB Games represents a return to a brand that many associate with their earliest gaming experiences—now reimagined for a new era of retail. As the company refines its vision for both its physical stores and digital presence, the passion Tyo describes—for games, for collectibles, and for the Canadian identity of the brand—remains at the heart of this retail transformation.
Dustin Fuhs is the Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication. He has over 20 years of experience in the retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality industries, including with The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Dustin was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025.