Advice on Opening a Game Store

[DrZombie]

Public image. Remember that not everyone who walks into the store is a die-hard gamer. There are "soccer moms" bringing their kids to play card games, there are gamer girlfriends, normal business folks peeking in to see what kind of business just replaced their favorite donut shop, and so on. So the first thing they see when walking into the front door should probably not be a life-sized cardboard cutout of "Sheeba, the Succubi Temptress" and a big sign saying "We have plenty of copies of the Book of Vile Darkness!" Don't cover up your windows - adult bookstores and bars cover their windows.

IMHO, one of the best pieces of advice so far. A lot of people forget this, and tend to cater exclusively to the "gaming crowd".
Try to diversify, stock some boardgames as well, something gramps can buy for his grandson. Make sure there's plenty of light and fresh air in the store. Burning candles and dark rooms might make a good athmosfere for the four people sitting in te back playing, but it scares away costumers who'd like to see what they buy, and it makes for an excellent thieving opportunity.

Second : Space space space space space. Nothing as discouraging as a shop that's crammed with stuff. A few gaming tables, preferably placed where you can see 'em from outside attract costumers.... Euuurhm, well, depending on who's sitting there . You know what I mean.


Anyways , best of luck, and I hope she makes it.

 

[RatPunk]

Here is the thread I started to get advice on opening a store:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=64699

 

[Calico_Jack73]

I guess my little piece of advice is to make the store inviting to shop at. Unfortunately personal hygine seems to be lacking in value to a lot of gamers. I quit going to game stores because the only game store in in Dover, Delaware smelled funky and the staff were dressed and groomed poorly and stunk as well. Too many unwashed people inside too small a place for too long. They had a downstairs area that they allowed people to use for in-store gaming. With all the CCG players as well as the TTM gamers it stunk up really fast (not many RPGs were played there). There was only one bathroom downstairs and I think the majority of people failed to flush it when they were done in their hurry to get back to the game. Needless to say I hated going there even when there was an item that I really wanted so I started ordering from Amazon.
The flip side is a store I used to go to in Dallas called Lone Star Comics & Games. They kept the place clean, the staff dressed well, and they piped good music through the store (alternative rock as opposed to classical or jazz for Barnes & Noble). I loved going there just to browse. They also carried a great selection of fantasy and sci-fi novels so that non-gamers looking for an obscure title would go there too. That is the type of store she needs to run. Something that appeals to hardcore gamers as well as people just getting their feet wet. She might also consider starting up a website of her own to allow people to order via internet.
www.lonestar.com

 

[johnsemlak]

First, I must disagree somewhat with the person who said to focus on older gamers. While younger gamers don't have as high of an income, the income they do have is nearly 100% disposable. And you'd be amazed at the amount of money some kids can get from their parents. I'm not saying your friend should turn her shop into Chuck E Cheese, but stocking some Yu-Gi-Oh cards or running an "under 12" D&D game once a week can't hurt.

I'm no expert but I believe I saw somewhere a couple of years ago a stat that the age group with the most amount of disposable income was about 12-15. They get money from their parents (or maybe they even have a job like a paper route) and they're not worred about saving for something.

 

[thalmin]

Those still in school are also the ones most likely to bring in more friends, because they have more friends (everyone in class) and they are the ones more likely to get their friends into games, (they are always eager to try something new.)

 

[idoru]

i'm the hopeful storeowner.

so, anyways. as the title says, i'm the one looking to open up a store. and not just me, but me and 2 of my close friends, who are also saving up money for it (our hopeful launch date will be winter of next year). they have a lot of flat cash, and i have perfect credit, so i dn't forsee getting a loan as being a major issue. paying back that loan, however, could be.

to answer questions, i live in the southeast of philadelphia (near media). the only gaming store nearby is showcase comics, which focuses primarily on comics and is often sold out of magic cards. in addition, the two people going into this with me have both worked there for over 6 months, so i'm hoping they have some on-the-job experience.

i know a lot of gamers in philly, and it seems like they'd like to take advantage of a store with an actual place for gaming. apparently, showcase's major income is warhammer models and comics. i couldn't get the corner on the comic market, at least not until the store is established, since most of that money comes from people who have comic files. but there is a definite lack of gaming space (every genre) and i think that gap is aching to be filled. i plan to sell the good graphic novels, but not monthly issues.

i know there won't be much money for the first year, but the three of us are willing to work essentially without pay for the good of the store.

i understand about personal biases...i plan to carry heroclix and yugioh cards, heh. i also plan to sell singles, which is something showcase doesn't do. i also plan on selling gaming books (both ww and wotc) but expect most of the profit to come from ccgs and warhammer models.

$30,000 i can do, without loans (i know i can save up $10,000, and i think my partners could do the same). and, again, i have no aversion to taking out loans...god knows how much i owe nyu for my (useless) bachelors.

we don't expect to get rich...we just hope to get enough money to get by, and do something we enjoy.

one of my partners is taking business classes to help with the accounting, though we will definitely hire an accountant.

we're really enthusiastic about this, and it seems like the market is ripe. not to mention that i know about 50% of the market in the area, so i'm sure they'd be more loyal to a friend than to a store they'd shopped at before. not to mention i'm a somewhat attractive female who knows a lot about magic and most rpgs, which i think also gives an edge over the store that employs primarily middle aged men. shallow, yes, but i don't think it can be discounted.

i'm just concerned as to where to start. me and partner1 are writing the business plan, but i don't really know what to put into it. i'll look into that website.

my only real fear is eating up my own profits, heh.

right now, i'm thinking of putting the store in a strip mall, since i don't want to be restrained by the 9pm closing time of enclosed malls. do you think that's a good idea, or should i look for something freestanding?

and do you think $30,000-$40,000 is enough money to start up the store, without worrying about going under due to a bad month? be honest.