Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jay-ell]

Cort, we offer 20% off MSRP on everything, all the time. It cuts into our margins but the hope is that we make up for it in volume. We definitely do in Magic, but I don't know about board games -- we haven't done a good job of getting the word out in the community. I'm hoping to host more boardgaming events that are marketed towards singles and young DINK couples. Any advice on that?

[CortJstr]

Cort, we offer 20% off MSRP on everything, all the time. It cuts into our margins but the hope is that we make up for it in volume. We definitely do in Magic, but I don't know about board games -- we haven't done a good job of getting the word out in the community. I'm hoping to host more boardgaming events that are marketed towards singles and young DINK couples. Any advice on that?

I personally haven't been yet but several of my friends vouch for Labyrinth in DC. It might be worth looking into some of their marketing strategies. www.labyrinthgameshop.com/Events_Parties.html https://twitter.com/labyrinthdc

My first thought was to start your own Meetup group with events hosted at the store. The group I'm in mostly does open gaming with occasional "learn a game" nights where everybody plays the same predetermined game. I can tell you that at least around here Meetup is about 80% singles looking for non-bar ways to meet people with the rest being new-to-the-area and people happy to find others who share their hobby.

Also, there's currently a BGG thread asking if anybody's seen Tzolkin at a FLGS yet. Apparently the first printing is basically sold out and it's now going for ~$80 second-hand at Amazon. Do you know if your store has any copies?

[jay-ell]

We don't, unfortunately. I tried to get it from our distributor to have on hand for the end of the Mayan calendar but they were already sold out. I'm trying to run events that are tied to the calendar in some way -- Axis & Allies on D-Day, Star Wars miniatures on May the 4th, First and Goal the week before the Super Bowl, etc.

There is a meetup for strategy gamers that our events are posted in, but we don't have our own group just for the store. I should probably get on that? But it seems like posting to existing meetup groups will reach a wider audience.

Dredging the BGG forum, it seems like every time someone asks for recommendations for stores in our area, our main competitor gets a mention but we don't. I've been going in and adding our store as a suggestion where possible without sounding spammy, but a lot of people seem to be under the impression that we closed when in fact we only moved.

[CortJstr]

If your events are already in a group it might not be worth starting your own. Unless you frequently host events that you can't post to that group because they don't fit in (my main group is pretty strictly euros, no Magic or party games).

Are you familiar with session reports? Those could be a good way to mention the store in a less spammy way. "I played Seasons for the first time this week at an event at..." Just read over some existing session reports (especially ones with lots of thumbs or Geek Gold) to get a feel for what people want to read. You could also post Geek Lists for things like "Games Played at Open Game Night at ... Jan 11, 13" or "Games we couldn't keep on the shelf, Dec 2012." And keep an eye on the Discussing Retailers thread for times you can plug your store.

[jay-ell]

These are all great ideas. I'm wondering if this topic shouldn't get its own thread, though?

The Triangle strategy games meetup should be strictly euro-style games, but the owner of our main competitor, Gamer's Armory, posts party games, miniatures games and Magic events in it. They basically throw their entire calendar at anything resembling a games group (including roleplayers). I think that's low class.

I also am happy to suggest other local stores to people who are looking for things we don't carry and never will (Games Workshop stuff) or for people who live just a bit to far away to make it in town for our weeknight events (I send a lot of people to another store in Durham and just today suggested the Mt. Airy store on BGG). AFAIK, Gamer's Armory does NOT return the favor, though some of the other stores & comic shops in our area do. I'm thinking of going in to the store and introducing myself to the owner and basically asking if there's a way we can work together to build the community. But that involves face-to-face interaction and obviously I'm terrified by that concept.

[wombat]

, but a lot of people seem to be under the impression that we closed when in fact we only moved.

That is a HUGE problem and the main thing you need to figure out how to address in my opinion.

. I'm thinking of going in to the store and introducing myself to the owner and basically asking if there's a way we can work together to build the community. But that involves face-to-face interaction and obviously I'm terrified by that concept.

You're a writer, you don't think you can do this with a carefully worded email? Or at least email to set up a time to talk on the subject? Which might be better because otherwise you put that person on the spot. For what it's worth the one thing my boss at the store I worked at hated more than anything else was someone just dropping in to talk business without making an appointment.

And yes, separate thread.

[jay-ell]

That is a HUGE problem and the main thing you need to figure out how to address in my opinion.

Unfortunately, I think much of the damage was done before I even got hired. My boss (hereafter known as Mr. Games) did a crappy job of putting the word out. The only reason I knew about the move is because I was a VERY regular customer -- in the store almost every week -- and I only knew about it a few days before it actually happened. And he didn't bother to update our information on manufacturer websites, so Wizards of the Coast, Fantasy Flight, WizKids, etc's event systems all have our old address & phone number. Heck, we only got our GOOGLE information updated about two weeks ago, and only after my co-worker and I threw a MAJOR hairy fit about it. We moved EIGHT months ago and we are still having people come in and say, "Wow, I used to go to the old store all the time, but I thought you'd closed!"

It doesn't help that he won't spring for a sign on the building, either. We're completely invisible from the street unless you know exactly where to look. It's criminal.

You're a writer, you don't think you can do this with a carefully worded email? Or at least email to set up a time to talk on the subject? Which might be better because otherwise you put that person on the spot. For what it's worth the one thing my boss at the store I worked at hated more than anything else was someone just dropping in to talk business without making an appointment.

That's a good point. I'll try to get in touch via my work email first.

[wombat]

There is no sign on the building?

OK, I take it back. That's the first thing you need to solve.

As for the other problem, do you do any advertising? I feel pretty sure our store went out of business partly because all the competitors advertised and ours did not. If people saw ads for the store, they would know it was still in business.

If you don't have a sign so walk-by traffic knows you're there, and you don't advertise so people who aren't walking by know you're there... no wonder the business is in trouble.

[jay-ell]

Shockingly, it's in less trouble than it used to be -- apparently the previous owner was losing money hand over fist, and in eight months Mr. Games has it breaking even with no new debt.

Yeah, the lack of sign is awful, but honestly, the place we moved to is cheap because it's on a side street without a lot of drive-by/walk-by traffic anyway. Still, it's bad form not to have a sign. If I can generate $400 worth of income this month I will totally press him to put it towards some signage.

We don't advertise as much as we should and that is largely a cost issue. Plus, where would we advertise? The phone book? We have a facebook page (which I manage) and our google listing is now up to date, so if you google "Board Game store raleigh nc" we are the fourth hit. We could/should do better than that, but there it is.

[wombat]

Our competitor that is still in business advertises regularly in the weekly papers. Do you not have any of those?

My boss never bought a print ad in her life. Because she never read anything in print I think she assumed no one else did either. (She was one of those people who read one book a year, and it was by a tv star.) She also declined to buy ads on a local blog that I thought would be a good idea. As far as I can tell in fact all she thought one needed was a Facebook page, so maybe that's a warning for you. The thing is that a Facebook page does nothing to tell people you exist who don't already know.

The newer competition has been sending out mail ads, like large postcards, but I'm guessing that would not make sense for you. Probably if you mail to everyone in a zip code, a higher percentage is likely to own pets than is likely to go to a game store even if they knew it existed.

[CortJstr]

I talked to my friend who's a regular on BGG (and a former Geek of the Week on RPGG). He says the best things to do are update your BGG profile with info about the store then just post a lot. People will naturally look at your profile once they start recognizing your name. He also thinks there are several designers in your area. Track them down and invite them to events.

[jay-ell]

One thing I want to do (that I really should put in my little Notebook of Ideas) is host a quarterly "Indie Game Developers Night" on a night when we're not normally open. It would be a forum for local devs to come in and share ideas, playtest each other's stuff, offer feedback on the mechanics, share tips on sourcing, etc. And then I want to hold a "Locally Grown" mini-con once or twice a year, where local devs can rent table space (for a small fee) and actually sell their stuff to the public in-store.

I'd let patrons vote for their favorite games and the top 1-3 titles would win permanent shelf space in the store. I want to devote a couple of linear feet to locally produced and independent games, but before I can do that we need to clear out some of our old inventory from Mr. Games' previous store. There's an entire wall of stuff that isn't even selling at 50% off. It needs to GO.

[CortJstr]

That reminds me, on the off chance you ever come across a copy of Vikings I've been looking for it. It's out of print and online prices tend to be nuts.

[jay-ell]

It's unlikely, but I'll keep an eye out.

[CortJstr]

You should post here. The KS is at 8% with like 25 days to go but it's still worth entering: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/913719/nominate-a-local-game-store-for-free-copies