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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Torm" data-source="post: 1906375" data-attributes="member: 12706">1. Discount Card - I've seen a lot of people recommending a discount for regular customers. Good idea, but too informal. SELL an annual card offering a percentage off purchases, and figure out an amount to sell it for that would only allow the average customer to save about the same amount as you're selling the card for. (I know, easier said than done, but best-guess it and don't be afraid to adjust it later.) Put an ad for them by the register to be seen all the time, and maybe add a few displays around the store marketing them as gift ideas at appropriate times of year (Thanksgiving to two weeks after Christmas, Last month of school, Month leading up to school.)2. Drinks and Snacks - sold behind the counter or in a vending machine, and sell them for as close to cost as you feel you can - they're a feature to sell RPG products, not to make money directly, and people will appreciate that you're not gouging.3. I don't know that I would put a comfy place to sit and read product. A lot of people seem to be recommending it, but I dunno - I know plenty of people who play RPGs who CAN memorize pretty well, or use watch-cameras or cell-phone-cameras, or who can use campaign ideas they read while making up their own stats. But I WOULD recommend making sure that there is plenty of room for people to pass each other in book rows if someone is crouching on the floor giving something an evaluation. I've been in plenty of stores where I've had a wait a WHILE while the nimrod sitting in the floor slowly comes back to awareness of the world around him and that someone would like to pass.4. Used Trade-in - Take trade-ins. Even if it's a small amount, it's better than nothing for an RPG book you want rid of. And obviously, the flip-side - sell used stuff. Maybe if you do these, have a free box for customers to grab stuff that won't move - be careful to mark this stuff in a way people can't reproduce quickly without being noticed (a paper punch that makes unusual shaped holes would be excellent), so they don't sneak "for sale" product into the box and walk out with it free. Put the box where customers have to walk past as much other product as possible to go through it - maybe they'll see something to buy, even if they came in to rummage the free box.5. Catalog - Have a catalog people in the store can look at to special order gaming stuff you don't think there is enough volume to inventory. Admittedly, this stuff can be ordered off the 'net, but I think a lot of people will special order through a FLGS they like just to support the place - I would.6. Events - I agree with the rest who have said have events. If you can make them worth it, have events you can charge a cover, so to speak, for. Maybe make some of these free with the discount card.7. Music - No vocals, please. Soft instrumental, preferably gaming appropriate - a little Star Wars soundtrack here, a little Lord of the Rings stuff, the recent game music offering from WOTC, etc. Vocals are jarring, especially during gaming or events.8. Gaming in-store - I also agree with people who said to keep this out of the way of floor traffic, and would add that maybe you could have a sign-up to use (maybe even cheaply rent?) gaming tables when nothing else would be using them. Maybe we're insane, but there have been times when groups I've gamed with have considered getting a hotel room to game in because none of our usual locations were available - $5 would be fine to use a table for eight with access to snacks and drinks and a restroom, maybe even $10 if access to a fridge and microwave were included...</blockquote>

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