istockphoto 458708437 612x612 1

GameStop: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 05. 9. 2026

Ryan Cohen always has big ideas. Some like Chewy.com, the successful pet products online retailer that he co-founded and eventually sold for $3.35 billion, turn out to be great ideas. And some, like his aborted takeover attempt of the original Bed Bath & Beyond, turn out to be big busts. Now Cohen has his biggest idea ever: GameStop, the gaming retailer he is CEO of, is trying to buy eBay, a company three times the size of his. To do so will take an enormous amount of financing (try $9.4 billion in cash and up to $20 billion in debt), which is often the kiss of death for any retail business. And eBay is no big Hit either this week; it has zigged and zagged its business strategy for decades with varying degrees of success. Same as Cohen, who has also played the meme-stock scam as well as anybody. He always aims high; it’s just that very often his aim is not very good.

The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis

Airports Are Retail Cities 1

Airports Are Retail Cities

Airports are growth retail markets for travelers of all ages. Purchasing decisions are increasingly emotional and experiential, and we shop

The Resort Retail Opportunity

The Resort Retail Opportunity

Resort activations allow brands to test new markets and formats with limited capital commitment. And arguably more important, they allow

Listen Up

Retail Unwrapped

Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.

Experience
The Resort Retail Opportunity

The Resort Retail Opportunity

Resort activations allow brands to test new markets and formats with limited capital commitment. And arguably more important, they allow

Aerie and Pamela Anderson

Aerie and Pamela Anderson

American Eagle was accused of promoting eugenics and then doubled down on its controversial spokesperson. Then it hired her opposite

Birkin Banknotes

Birkin Banknotes

The future of luxury in a persistent K-shaped economy and its role in a global society of haves, have-nots, and

Get the Daily Report

Subscribe to The Robin Report and get our latest retail insights delivered right to your inbox.

We will never send you spam or share your info. 

Opinion

a woman with blonde hair and a microphone
New Episodes Weekly

The Retail Unwrapped Podcast

Retail insights on-the-go, with Shelley E. Kohan. Available on your favorite podcast platforms. 

From Our Partners

Technology

Woolworths Chatbot Went Rogue

Woolworths’ Chatbot Went Rogue

Research on human-computer interaction has consistently found that people respond positively to interfaces that feel conversational and warm, while younger

Can Retail Careers Survive AI

Can Retail Careers Survive AI?

The future of retail work will not be defined by whether humans or machines dominate. It will be defined by

Management

What Makes Retail Leadership

What Makes Retail Leadership Excel

Companies, including retail organizations, emerge first as a nascent idea, and then, when a viable opportunity promptly presents itself, a

Operations

Scroll to Top
Skip to content