S
Sunseeker
Guest
Right. I'd be curious if a store in a large enough town could make enough money to stay open simply by hosting games.
Xanathar's, Wizards, and FLGSes Charging For Playspace
Right. I'd be curious if a store in a large enough town could make enough money to stay open simply by hosting games.
GMMichael
Guide of Modos
Here's the hurdle: consumers don't know the full price of what they buy. They can feel a better experience when they go to a FLGS, but they can SEE the difference in price between the FLGS and Amazon/Walmart. And what they're buying from Amazon has a hidden price of putting local shops out of business.
While I wouldn't pay for gaming space (most near me are no better than stale school cafeterias), I would gladly pay $6 for a latte and scone that comes with a decent place for gaming. Hint hint...
Theoretically, yes, if they sell enough other product to cover the fiscal hole of the non-display playspaces.
In my experience, that’s a tough balancing act. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, and lived/gamed in Austin & San Antonio as well. At this point in time, most- but not all- of the stores I used to hit (dating back to 1982) that supported in-store gaming are closed.
OTOH, some of the stores that still exist that support gaming are absolutely thriving. And, of course, some stores are gon and never had in-store gaming at all.
Still, we can’t make the post hoc ergo procter hoc mistake, in either direction. All kinds of factors contribute to the success or failure of a game store. Unless we have the numbers in front of us, we can’t draw too many conclusions.
I was talking to the manager of a certain location of large restaurant chain. He said that his location was the highest grossing location in the entire chain. Shortly after that discussion, that location closed. Why? Because how much you gross doesn’t decide the matter, it’s your net. And that location’s expenses- especially the rent- were also the highest in the chain, so their net was only +$2000/month. (Which was the lowest in the chain.)
While it’s true they don’t know, it’s not like the answers aren’t obvious if you simply take a second and look around. Just think.
One of my Dad’s patients once confronted my Mom (his business manager) about her bill. Very socratically, my mother asked a barrage of questions, “Were there potholes in the parking lot?” “Did you like the air conditioned waiting room with comfy chairs, chilled water, Columbian coffee and new magazines?” “Did you like the soft toilet paper?” “Did you like how painless the shots are you get from our trained staff?”
That bill was paid in full.
Depending on where you are, that might actually cost them more. It might put them under municipal or state food service regs, it might violate the terms of their rent, etc., to say nothing of possible increases in cleaning or damaged product. Oh yeah, and security/health code issues regarding providing a public bathroom.
RPGs never seem to make any real money for a store. All FLGS I know make their true money with CCGs and tabletop miniature wargaming. P&P is just an added bonus that is sold incidently, but never comes close to the profit of the other two.
Comics and merchandise usually yield much more than the P&P games. They're really only there because there's shelf-space left and nothing better to fill it.
Comics and merchandise usually yield much more than the P&P games. They're really only there because there's shelf-space left and nothing better to fill it.
ccs
41st lv DM
1) So if you don't charge enough for your space/time/effort, & you don't charge enough for the books etc, how do you stay in business?
2) Do you charge the DMs to run games?
3) If you find yourself routinely sitting on 1-2 books by buying on "guesswork"? Then cut your order down by 5 & order more as needed.
4) I'm a realist. I understand that there's costs to running B&M a store. Utilities, rent, taxes, upkeep, paychecks, & on & on & on.... So I don't expect my little local shop to slit their throat trying to match Amazon & Walmart. They can't do it. And if they did do it, then very quickly there wouldn't be a little local shop. Hell, big retail can't do it. 9 Hells, even Walmart can't actually match Amazon....
So I'm ok with paying retail locally. As someone said, Enlightened Self-Interest. I buy my book locally, Mike stays open, I continue to have a neutral ground where I can play games with people I'd never invite home (but are still fun to game with) & some of the $ trickles back into the local economy & the streets I drive on keep getting paved.
Now if the local shop wants to reward me for loyalty, & essentially free advertising*, I won't say no. Anything from some % off to just a free Mt.Dew will work for me. But I don't expect Mike to slit his retail throat.
*Free advertising: You know what sells games? Especially expensive miniature war-games like 40k? Seeing other people playing them & having a good time.
So when I'm at the shop playing a game I"M actually doing the shop a service beyond just buying stuff from them. I'm setting up future sales. (once again a bit of enlightened self-interest - I.E. making new gamers)
Why would you not charge for playspace? That is something that Amazon just can not compete with.
The older I get, the more I can appreciate this.
Someone whom I respect once told me he’d never pay to play a game on someone else’s property. If enough people think that way, charging for playing becomes self-defeating. Especially if there are places that don’t charge. And there are such places.
I imagine that there was no trouble for the event organisers at Gencon to sell out their table space so it appears to me as if there is at least some of the market that is willing to pay to play.
And targeting some of the market is much better idea then targeting none of the market.
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