What would you like to see in a new game store?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

First off, you need to be clear on your motives. Are you doing this to make money or are you doing this b/c it would be cool to run a gaming shop. If it's the latter, you'll be out of business within 12-18 months. You always need to keep in mind that it's the influx of money that keeps what you love going. Otherwise, you're just going to be struggling to keep afloat all the time.

I would strongly recommend you sit down and write up a business plan (if you're saying, "what's that?", then fergedda about the whole idea) for what you want your store to be and how you want it to function. A lot of the ideas posted in this threat are great, but when you combine them all you get a nightmare. I can't tell you how many gaming stores I've been to that are crammed from floor to ceiling with so much "junk" of such a wide variety that you can't tell if they have what you're looking for and even if you could, you wouldn't know where to begin looking. Plus the employees can't know everything about everything so their knowledge is not up to snuff.

You need to decide how much "interactive space" you're willing to dedicate for instore gaming, demos, compute games, etc. That floor space costs money, and you don't want your "store" to become a "coffee shop".

You should also focus in on certain games/products. Carrying everything is just going to result in you having piles of old stock that doesn't sell.

I'd also suggest you try to make your store a focal point for the gaming community. That means bulletin boards, email lists, and special demos. It also means being friendly to everyone who comes through the door. For some reason, there's a lot of anti-social/socially challenged game store owners and they usually struggle to keep a loyal customer base.

Finally, minis are definitely a money maker. But you need to focus on a few brands rather than a whole bunch. Or start small and see what sells in your area. You have to remember that minis also take up A LOT of space that could otherwise be used to display other merchandise. Someone mentioned selling individual D&D minis and I know from experience that gaming stores in my area do this and make a huge profit, even off commons.There are a lot of people who won't buy sight-unseen but when they see that sahuagin ranger out in the open, they've just gotta have it.

Good luck.

(p.s. if it was me, I'd be incorporating an online store into the enterprise. That's the future, not brick-and-mortar stores. I know several gaming stores that basically maintain a shop just to store all their inventory but online sales make up the vast majority of their business).

 

[TheYeti1775]

Saw a lot of good ideas there.

Things I agree with:

1. Keep gaming area seperate from your merchandise area.
2. No shrinkwrap.
3. Holiday gift wrapping. Not expensive, do it for free as a store expense, the Dollar Store sells it. Two Dollars, one for the roll of paper the other for a 3 pack of scotch tape, goes a long way into winning the hearts of your older players, and the parents of the younger crowd.
4. Computer for researching and getting reviews.
5. Knowledgable staff, they don't have to know the particulars of a game, just an overview of that system would suffice. Let them read some of the material during slow times.
6. Store Hours - this one is a key point for all age gamers. Most school age gamers will be in your store right after school. But your workers are primarily getting off about 5ish, and then fighting traffic till 6pm. Staying open to 8 is great, if you can do 10pm it's even better. I won't feel rushed to get to the store and out before you close up.
7. Familiarize yourself with your frequent customers, weather it be with a discount card or just remembering my name somehow. We all seen those little grocery "discount" cards. I never meet the cashier before, but when they say have a good day Mr. C..., it makes for an enjoyable experence.

New suggestion:
1. Several of your younger gamers don't have access to credit cards and the such. Allow them to order (via cash to you) from online sites (i.e. Amazon), with a simple surcharge paid to you on top of their order. You can have it shipped to the store, or directly to them. This would allow you to generate even older traffic in the fact if you don't have it in stock you can order it right away for them, and doesn't cost really anything other than a few minutes as they are paying for it when you order it.
2. It was mentioned above that an employee took a name and number and called someone when the shipment came in and held a copy for the person. This will earn my business every time. Had it happen for me one day, I had told them don't worry about calling I would be stopping back nearby later that day, I would just check then. The guy took it upon himself to keep a copy seperate, and as soon as he saw me he pulled it out and handed it to me. So now I check his store first for something, even though he is about 5 miles further than the "big box" store.

Setting up a simple LAN for hosting a LAN party is a good idea, but don't use your own computers.
Vending Machines and a mircowave would be nice to haves for a gaming area.

That's all I got right now.

 

[F.C.Desoya]

I would like to see a book or database that local gamers can post seeking other players. A quick profile and list of games they play or are interested in playing and some sort of contact method. I personally do not like to play in stores, have kids and it is easier to play at home, but always looking for people to join the group.

I have a favorite store that I go to (go out of my way to go to) and do not go other places. So even though I do not play instore, it still gets all my business.

 

[Davelozzi]

Keep in mind that what people want in a game store is not necessarily what will make the most business sense. While it's good to hear a success story like Imperialus's, in my experience the stores that sell a lot and stick around are the smaller ones in better locations. Rent prices will vary by location, so to get a good one, you might not be able to afford large gaming spaces, big comfy chairs, etc. But be careful of going for a location that's too good (and hence too expensive to be profitable). A location in the city near public transit is good, a location in a busy shopping mall is just too expensive.

If you're planning on opening up in Seattle, I hope that there's less competition than there was back in '98-2000 when I lived there. For example, I hate to disappoint Erik Mona, but there's already a game store in (or at least very near) Ballard -- the Game Wizard on 65th. So I'd shy away from that neighborhood unless you can get a nice location right down in the center by Leary & Market. But I'll agree with him about 'no cats', and about stocking Dungeon and Dragon.

Familiarize yourself with your frequent customers, weather it be with a discount card or just remembering my name somehow. We all seen those little grocery "discount" cards. I never meet the cashier before, but when they say have a good day Mr. C..., it makes for an enjoyable experence.

Though I agree that it's great if the folks at the stores I'm a regular at know me, and enjoy a discount as much as the next guy, I'll have to disagree very strongly on the grocery card idea. I get super annoyed when stores want me to carry around a card for them. I shouldn't have to have a wallet the size of Jupiter to get sale prices at all the places I shop. Furthermore, if the person needs to run a card to know my name, they don't really know me and having them call me by name is just weird and artificial. Assuming you have a computer at the checkout desk, keeping your customer database there is a better way to handle it. Then you can just ask if they're a member and look up their name.

I'll echo previous statements for knowledgeble (but not snooty), friendly employees who give good customer service, and a clean and organized store.

Good luck!

 

[Torm]

I'll have to disagree very strongly on the grocery card idea. I get super annoyed when stores want me to carry around a card for them. I shouldn't have to have a wallet the size of Jupiter to get sale prices at all the places I shop. Furthermore, if the person needs to run a card to know my name, they don't really know me and having them call me by name is just weird and artificial.

I don't know about the other people who suggested a card, but I was thinking more along the lines of the cards booksellers (Barnes and Nobles, BAM, etc) use that you can buy to get a discount. I despise the ones the grocery stores use, too, since it seems like they just make you trade a record of your purchase demographics for the lower grocery prices you SHOULD be getting by just walking in. But the bookseller ones are nice, because they can be given as gifts, and they don't require the employees to remember you - I realize you may want to be "where everybody knows your name" , but I promise there are also people out who don't want a "relationship" with the shopkeepers they buy from, but just to look and buy and maybe ask the occasional product question. If they buy in volume and want a discount, it shouldn't matter that Bob behind the counter has never made friends with them.
And then, too, there's the flip side advantage - if the store DOES keep a log of purchases connected to cards, they have a more reliable source for a list of people to mention new products to, possibly even give a call or drop a mail or e-mail, than an employee's possibly unreliable memory. (It is nice, though, if a store is going to do this, that they include a promise not to share this information on the card or card agreement.)

 

[aguynamedbry]

Hello,

I am opening a new rpg store in the Seattle WA area. I am looking to open a fantasy focused store but am willing to take suggestions on other lines to carry.

Thanks for any suggestions

Sean

Hi,

Long time lurker, first time poster.... I just wanted to point out (if you haven't already) to work up a business plan and include in that whom your target market is. Living in Seattle myself, the people answering here may not be the underserved market that you want to position your store for (or they may). Regardless, you should always keep in mind your target market (or have it fall out of your analysis) when determining the type of store to run.

Good Luck,

Bry

 

[Tom]

Hello,

I am opening a new rpg store in the Seattle WA area. I am looking to open a fantasy focused store but am willing to take suggestions on other lines to carry.

Thanks for any suggestions

Sean

May want to look into Tact-Tiles. There have been several threads here talking about them. Also, I saw reviews in Dragon 323 and Dungeon 116.

 

[Imret]

Just wanted to drop a couple coppers on this, since most of the really good ideas have been stated. Man, is "store cat" a divisive issue or what?

It's primarily that I saw Warhammer/40K suggested a couple times; be wary. One of our FFLGS (Former Friendly...) in the city used to carry 40K and Warhammer minis and did brisk business in them, since they were a buck or two cheaper than the other gaming stores (which were decidedly less friendly). Then, Games Workshop decided to open one of their stores in the city, and would no longer offer any of the local non-GW stores their minis, games, or anything with the GW logo on it.

Three of the four gaming shops in town closed within 6 months of each other (and about 2 months after this decision was made), and the other is mostly a comics store that HAPPENS to carry RPG's. Just thought I'd share a horror story from just across the border...

I'm always looking for a better gaming store.

 

[ssampier]

Mark down your prices, be friendly, have a good location

I'm not a gaming store expert, but the stores I have been in never mark down their prices. I realize that game stores have low markups, but I'm going to shop at the place with the lower price and good customer service/selection. Simple reality. A discount card could be useful (you could mail discounts/offers to your customers if you want).

For the physical structure, I'm in favor of the warehouse space near mass transit. You'd save on rent and you could pass savings on to the customers. Continuing this idea, since this is a warehouse, you could skim on decorations and ambiance and charge warehouse prices (20-25% off MSRP or something similar).

If you had decoration, soft lighting, and a trendier mall area, you'd have to charge mall prices. You could have free sodas or coffee/hot chocolate to good customers and good seating around the store (ala book stores). I'm most in favor of the warehouse combined with the mail order/online idea.

If you go with the trendier area, the trick would be keep your good buying customers, while shooing the strays away, the ones that bother the paying customers. Also you'd want a good selection of general games, such as Game of Thrones etc (games Wal-Mart doesn't usually stock). This is attractive to the mother/father that picks up his/her son or daughter after a Pokemon or Magic game.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I'm not big on Games Workshop at all. Nothing turns me off more than being jumped by some geek as soon as I walk through the door who prattles on and on, wanting to know my life's gaming history. Having positive employees is one thing but having annoying hangers-on as a policy is quite another.

It's gotten to the point where the only time I step foot into a GW is when I need to buy some paint and then I'm in and out as quickly as possible.

I know some "civilian" non-gamers who have experienced the same thing and it's very off-putting to be "jumped" like that upon entering the store.