WotC and brick and mortar retail stores - Greg Leeds weighs in

[mhensley]

Does anyone here know a lot of single 20-something gamers?

For the past 3-4 years, I have been gaming with a group of guys at univ. of tennessee. Besides me (44), everyone in the group is in their early 20's. There are still a lot of gamers on college campuses today.

 

[Henry]

Why? I imagine the dimensions aren't strongly related, and that if you were careful, you could hire staff that was both charismatic and knowledgeable, to a reasonable degree.

Just from my hiring experience (limited, but I have been asked to interview candidates for different jobs) I've found it to be the rule, not the exception.

True, if you look long enough, you'll find people with both, but me, I'd rather hire for character than for skill, because you can train for knowledge and skill, but many businesses don't invest the money and time to train the right people, so they hire for technical knowledge, they get short-changed on character and/or personality, and it costs them in the long run. Like I said, it's the age-old problem in hiring, no matter the field.

 

[The Little Raven]

WOTC have nothing to show.

I agree that a new 4e video game is needed, but it will have to wait until the WotC/Atari tussle is resolved. They can't get another company involved until that happens.

 

[Dragon Snack]

Does anyone here know a lot of single 20-something gamers?

Define "a lot". As a game store owner I obviously know a few, but I also met them when I was running demos for Reaper. Sure, not as many as when I DJed at bars and clubs, but then I think that demographic tends to skew higher for singles - whether they are 20-somethings or not...

SIMCON Games Convention

Did you go? I had a booth there myself. According to the organizers, they had a bigger turn out this year. I know my sales were up (not as good as Running GAGG, but then that was the release weekend for the Worldwake Magic set).

...and i'm sure there is a decent prfit on snacks and drinks...

Actually, the margin sucks. Unless you buy pallet-loads you have to buy from a distributor. After they take their cut, your ROI is about 30%. It's a service and something that keeps people in your store, not a profit center. I used to work for a candy (and cigarette) distributor, candy is not what keeps most stores (who happen to sell candy) in business (with a few exceptions, the cigarettes were what we really sold).

They also need to branch out in what they sell - RPGs and supplies, board games, computer games, and comics, for starters.

Comics, because of the monopoly-like hold that Diamond has on the distribution tier, is not something you dabble in though. Unless you know what you are doing (or learn it very quickly), you can quickly drown yourself thanks to their minimum order requirements. The industry boards are fond of stealing the line "go big or go home" if you want to do comics...

 

[Stoat]

Why? I imagine the dimensions aren't strongly related, and that if you were careful, you could hire staff that was both charismatic and knowledgeable, to a reasonable degree.

Everybody dumps charisma except sorcerers and bards. Would you hire a sorcerer or bard?

 

[Festivus]

Actually, the margin sucks. Unless you buy pallet-loads you have to buy from a distributor. After they take their cut, your ROI is about 30%. It's a service and something that keeps people in your store, not a profit center. I used to work for a candy (and cigarette) distributor, candy is not what keeps most stores (who happen to sell candy) in business (with a few exceptions, the cigarettes were what we really sold).

What about local bulk stores (e.g. Costco, Smart & Final), where you can buy for roughly .25 a can, even with deposit, selling them for $1 is a considerable markup. Candy for .75 purchased similarly is large. Now you might think $1 for a soda is too much, but look at a vending machine these days.

 

[Festivus]

EDIT: GAH, duplicate post

 

[Glyfair]

Actually, the margin sucks. Unless you buy pallet-loads you have to buy from a distributor. After they take their cut, your ROI is about 30%. It's a service and something that keeps people in your store, not a profit center. I used to work for a candy (and cigarette) distributor, candy is not what keeps most stores (who happen to sell candy) in business (with a few exceptions, the cigarettes were what we really sold).

Unless you can go the restaurant like route (soda fountain, etc). Beverages are their big money maker. When Denny's had their big "free Grand Slam breakfast" day the local paper mentioned that they actually made money because of the high margins on the beverages that were bought that day.

Now most stores can't go that route. However, if you have the money, you could tie together a coffee shop type place and a gaming store, as long as both can stand alone.

 

[Saracenus]

So, here is my experiences with being a Wizards Play Network (WPN) organizer in Portland, OR.

Background: I have been heavily involved with the RPGA since the inception of Living Greyhawk and I noticed that home play and several other factors killed the once vibrant in store gaming groups that once roamed the earth here.

So I spent time building a relationship with my local game store, shout out to Guardian Games, and was able to start some Living Forgotten Realms (LFR) attempting to build a gameday. It was hard to get judges and players. It was not going well.

Enter D&D Encounters (DDE). I saw the potential immediately. I am currently hosting 3 days of DDE (3 tables on Tuesday, 1 Table on Wednesday, and 1 Table on Monday). I have only one LFR experienced judge my other 6 judges are brand new to organized play. I will probably expand to 4 tables on Tuesday and add a second to Monday for a total of 7 tables a week.

I have signed up tons of new players as well. The store owner is ecstatic. D&D 4e sales have been strong (She is a premier retailer, yes we get all D&D books 11 days in advance of street date and she gives discounts for folks that pre-order). Sales are picking up.

What is the moral of this, WotC is finally giving Brick and Mortar Stores some real advantages to draw in customers. My store is going to expand in a few months and will add an additional 12 tables to the gaming space (a 75% increase) which will help minimize the conflicts between Magic, Warhammer, and now DDE players.

My store is doing very well. D&D Encounters is doing well. 4e is doing well here.

My Two Coppers,

Bryan Blumklotz
Guardians of the Gameday Organizer
http://www.warhorn.org/guardiansofthegameday

 

[Dragon Snack]

What about local bulk stores (e.g. Costco, Smart & Final), where you can buy for roughly .25 a can, even with deposit, selling them for $1 is a considerable markup. Candy for .75 purchased similarly is large. Now you might think $1 for a soda is too much, but look at a vending machine these days.

Well, I was talking candy. Even at the bulk stores a regular candy bar breaks down to about 50¢ (or more), I sell them for 69¢ (75¢ after tax).

I was actually getting soda directly from Coke, until they started sneaking in price increases. It's funny, but I can get Pepsi products for less than direct from Pepsi. I'll be buying my own cooler very soon (I was going to buy one today, but the guy sold it before I got there. Listed for 3 weeks and he sells it the day after I find out about it...), so I can search out the best deals on soda.

Unless you can go the restaurant like route (soda fountain, etc). Beverages are their big money maker. When Denny's had their big "free Grand Slam breakfast" day the local paper mentioned that they actually made money because of the high margins on the beverages that were bought that day.

Now most stores can't go that route. However, if you have the money, you could tie together a coffee shop type place and a gaming store, as long as both can stand alone.

Fountain soda machine, $2,000 (or more) plus running new water lines and having the health inspectors come in and approve it. IIRC, it would take 4,000 or 5,000 sales to break even, assuming nothing needed to be repaired. Then take into account the spillage on your table and floors (cans are bad enough). Good ROI, but the money is better spent elsewhere.

I think the storefront next to me would be a great coffee shop, but it was bought by someone else and he is less than enamored of having a game store in town (not sure how much he had to do with it, but his partner started spreading the old 80's standby rumor of "D&D is evil" after he wasn't able to buy my building from me).