GameStop Corp. Doubles Holiday Hiring; Analysts See 12% Sales Growth

GameStop Corp. GME said Thursday it will nearly double its seasonal hiring in a reflection of the current strength of its business.

The Grapevine, Texas-based video game retailer said it will hire 25,000 temporary employees nationwide as the company prepares for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Analysts expect GameStop's sales will grow 12 percent to $4.13 billion for the period ending January 15 compared with a year earlier.

GameStop said its seasonal sales will be bolstered by new video games from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, while its "re-commerce" business will benefit as customers look to trade-in their pre-owned devices in order to acquire the new Apple iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus smartphone.

But Pacific Crest's Evan Wilson last week questioned the outlook for GameStop's holiday sales in light of delays that will push several major game releases into 2015.

Deloitte LLP forecast Wednesday that total holiday shopping sales will rise by 4 percent to 4.5 percent, a moderate improvement over last year's 2.8 percent gain.

GameStop shares were down 1.3 percent at $42.60 in mid-day trading Thursday, roughly tracking the larger market's trend.