Best Buy vs. GameStop: What Their Revenue Trends Tell Investors About These Specialty Retailers
Key Points
Best Buy currently looks substantially stronger on revenue, generating significantly higher sales volumes than GameStop.
The two companies exhibit a highly seasonal revenue pattern over the last eight quarters, with massive quarter-over-quarter spikes followed by consistent subsequent declines.
Investors should watch whether the massive revenue gap between the two companies remains steady or begins to shift over upcoming seasonal cycles.
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Best Buy: Managing a Massive Revenue Base
Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) primarily generates revenue by selling a wide array of consumer electronics, household appliances, and entertainment products, alongside offering consultation, repair, and technical support services to its customers.
It recently appointed Jason Bonfig as its new Chief Executive Officer, and for the quarter ended May 2, 2026, it reported a net income margin of 3%.
GameStop: Smaller Scale With Similar Seasonal Shifts
GameStop (NYSE:GME) earns most of its revenue by providing new and pre-owned video game consoles, software, and accessories, along with digital gaming content and licensed pop culture merchandise.
It recently submitted an unsolicited proposal to acquire eBay for $55.5 billion, which eBay’s Board of Directors rejected. For the quarter ended May 2, 2026, it recorded a net income margin of 47%.
Why Revenue Matters for Retail Investors
Revenue here represents the total money a company brings in from its operations before any expenses are deducted, which helps investors gauge overall customer demand and business scale.
Quarterly Revenue for Best Buy and GameStop
| Quarter (Period End) | Best Buy Revenue | GameStop Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2024 (Aug. 2024) | $9.3 billion | $798.3 million |
| Q4 2024 (Nov. 2024) | $9.4 billion | $860.3 million |
| Q1 2025 | $13.9 billion (period ended Feb. 2025) | $1.3 billion (period ended Jan. 2025) |
| Q2 2025 (May 2025) | $8.8 billion | $732.4 million |
| Q3 2025 (Aug. 2025) | $9.4 billion | $972.2 million |
| Q4 2025 (Nov. 2025) | $9.7 billion | $821.0 million |
| Q1 2026 (Jan. 2026) | $13.8 billion | $1.1 billion |
| Q2 2026 (May 2026) | $8.9 billion | $835.3 million |
Data source: Company filings. Data as of July 13, 2026.
Foolish Take
As is typical for retailers, Best Buy and GameStop experience sales spikes over the holiday shopping season in November and December. The former’s vastly higher revenue illustrates how the electronics retailer successfully navigated shifts in its business as consumers abandoned physical movie and video game media for digital versions. Its sales edged up to $8.9 billion in its fiscal first quarter ended May 2 compared to $8.8 billion in the prior year.
GameStop is attempting to adjust to changes in shopping behavior by introducing collectibles, which helped drive 14% year-over-year sales growth in its fiscal first quarter ended May 2. The company also posted the highest quarterly net income in its history, reaching $389.6 million, as a result of a confluence of cost management, higher revenue, and gains on investments such as Bitcoin.
Over the long term, Best Buy stands to see continued revenue growth. It has diversified across computers, appliances, mobile phones, and other products that provide resilience against economic headwinds. Meanwhile, GameStop still needs to prove it has a sustainable business as its core video games offering is in rapid decline, especially after Sony announced its PlayStation console will only sell digital content starting in 2028.
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Robert Izquierdo has positions in Best Buy and Sony Group. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Best Buy, Bitcoin, and eBay. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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