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Hey folks

Posts like these pop up from time to time, now it's my turn. I wanna open a game store. Probably a good 6 months to a year from now. I'm just entering the research phase and will be putting a business plan together, etc.

So here's the question... What do you want in a game store?

Here's my ideas..

Location will be outside Philadelphia in the burbs. Exton, Phoenixville or Pottstown general areas if you know the area.

It will of course feature gaming tables in the back, I'm hoping for at least 6 4x6 tables for wargames, that can be converted down to 12 4' folding tables for card games (take 2 of the tables and put a sheet of plywood across em). I will probably sell candy bars and snacks and have a soda machine and a CLEAN bathroom.

For games I plan to feature the staples.. GW, PP, FOW, MTG, D&D, in addition to a healthy selection of board games (both the "gamer" type and traditional stuff like monopoly) and some nice looking display-piece chess sets and those things as well. I hope to have a good selection of children's titles as well and plan to do demos-on-command for many titles. While it's a place for gamers, I need to be able to appeal to the mainstream folks out there too if I'm going to stay afloat.

A lot of game stores double as comic stores, but I don't plan to as I don't know that industry at all and don't care to learn it at the moment. What can I say, I like the movies better. On that note, I also don't plan to carry graphic novels because I've always felt the people who buy them are people who buy comics, so if people don't come to my store to buy comics they won't come to it for graphic novels either.

I'm considering doing used video games from old atari to PS3, trade in for store credit, that sort of thing. Also considering having console games and huge TVs to play them on, you rent the controller and/or game with an hourly fee. Not sure space will allow it so I may save that for an expansion kinda thing.

If I don't do video games, I may go the other way and get more into modeling carrying military, sci fi & anime models and eventually possibly expanding to model trains (but that's a whole other can of worms)

In store, I will strive to keep it spotless (again, soccer moms) and keep the in-store music to acceptable stuff. As much as I love em, there will be no Fear Factory or Soulfly blasting away in my place. I will probably use sci fi & fantasy movie soundtracks. Or possibly just have a TV on the wall playing sci fi movies or cartoons or something like that. Generally, I just want it to have a friendly atmosphere.

So all that said, any thoughts? What would you do differently if you were gonna open a store?

Sounds like you have everything covered.

Yeah, sounds like a good plan.

One thing, don't be afraid to carry products that you personally don't like. The first thing to spring to mind is a selection of card games aimed at younger gamers, such as Yugioh and Pokemon. Such items don't take up much space, and are fast sellers. Plus, get your patrons into your store while they are still young, and you have a customer for life. The whole reason I got into wargaming was that I started chatting about it with a local shop owner during Magic tourneys when I was about 14-15.

I have also seen several gaming stores that have sort of a "clubhouse" environment, if you know what I mean. That is, only the owner and his friends are welcome, and all other customers are an inconvenience. I'd far rather go to a family-friendly store than a "clubhouse", even if I'm part of the in-crowd.

So, in short:

1) Remember that some items are easier to make a profit on.
2) Remember that to have a business, you need customers!

1. Cleanliness
2. Location
3. Environment
4. Game Support

I'm a bit torn about the priority, though.

Nix the video game stuff, it will detract from your main sales stick with games and modeling, and model trains is probably to much as well, a generalized focus is good.

I would say your plan to stick with Miniatures games, Board games, card games, and role-play games is a good one.

for role play i would carry white wolf's world of darkness, dungeons and dragons, the 40k rpg, and gurps.

you have good ideas for the mini's, but also stock the dnd mini's and reaper miniatures for the role players.

card and board games I would say have alot of the hasbro games, along with all the nerd level board games, this also means you will want uno and other card games, and keep in mind you will want some odd puzzle games for teachers and weird people.

and for collectable card games keep on hand yu-gi-oh, world of warcraft, pokemon, and of course magic: the gathering.

also manufacturers sponsor gaming leagues for the cards and sometimes other games as well, I would get in all that you can, I know they have Pokemon leagues for Saturdays, yu-gi-oh for Sundays, and Friday night Magic: the gathering, there is probably more. you could also host a white-wolf camarilla cclub game to bring players there, that is a live action role-playing game club that builds a story and is interconected on a global scale.

for your gaming areas, I would suggest have some aditional space for card gamers and role-players, 6 mini game boards is good for the warhammer and warmachine players, but you will have turf issues when the card flippers and role players come in and want space to play.

those are my thoughts for now, I may have more, if you have any questions I have helped run 3 different game stores at various times.

good luck, cliff

Coffee, coffee,coffe, cofffe, coffee!

I definitely don't want a clubhouse. I've seen clubhouse stores go under, and don't wanna be another one. No I plan for this to be a store that's accessable to all. Well lit, clean, organized and friendly. I want mom to be comfortable enough to want to drop billy off with $20 while she goes to the tanning salon. Or for teachers or church ladies to want to stop in and get a new parcheesi set for the game club. Or a new deck of cards so they can play canasta. Or that russian chess guy that comes in wanting a new set made out of hand carved mahogany. On top of if the hardcore gamers coming in for Magic or 40k tourneys.

I would keep the gaming tables divided up good. It might be 6 wargame tables max to start with, but that could be split up as 4 tables for wargames and 4 for card games, or whatever works.

I love coffee and would love to sell it, however if I do then I get into the whole "serving food to the public" and that's something I just don't want. In fact, I'm wanting to to a game store because of all the rules and regulations and BS involved with restaurants, my first plan was a burger joint. If the place really works out and I can expand and make coffee and other things work then I may look into it, but not from the start. Unless I could get a coffee vending machine, but the coffee in those things usually tastes like poo.

Friendly and helpfull people who are not attempting to shove things I do not want/need up my nose1

I was wondering how the video games thing would work, if you haven't decided to drop it. I mean, you really wouldn't want people playing Silent Hill on the giant TV while the little kids are picking up the latest Pokemon booster.

My idea for playing video games in the store would be to keep that in a separate area. Since they are loud and distracting (both the games and the kids playing them). This would be an expansion thing, separate from the main gaming tables too, like a separate room or 2nd store next door that I took over and connected the 2, something like that. Anyway, my idea would be to have a big TV (50" or so) connected to a basic surround sound setup, and a sofa. Sectioned off as small rooms or at least a basic wall dividing each area with the rear portion wide open. Anyway, something comfy to sit on, a big tv and surround sound. Basically to give folks a video gaming experience that most kids won't have at home. They may have a big tv, but dad isn't gonna let them play Killzone when he wants to watch football. Rent out the games for an hourly fee, and also rent controllers if people don't bring their own since some people prefer different kinds of controllers. This section of the store would also have a separate cashier and the used video games and stuff like that would all be in this section.

I also have been thinking of having a classic arcade, with old arcade games like Gauntlet or Sinistar, and you play em for a quarter like the good ole days.

But this kind of stuff is just a "wood be cool" kind of thing. I think the costs involved to do it would far outweigh the profit I'd make. So it's definitely something to think of later on if the store becomes really successful.

Go light with your inventory to start, and gauge legitimate customer interest. It's good to have games you like and prefer, but in the end it's about serving your local market. Their tastes are of primary importance and you have to follow them as they change. Bring in inventory over time. Beware taking advice from those who want to model your store after their game collection (including your own advice).

I like that you plan to diversify. That's the key to survival nowadays. Also don't forget classic games, like chess and backgammon, as well as lots of support for your products: dice, paint, card sleeves, miniatures, and snacks. Mexican Coke is the number three best selling item in my store for over two years now. Make sure your calendar is diversified as well. You won't sell board games until you have a crowd *playing* board games. Create an evening for those players and make sure you're educated about them (play with them).

Your game center make-up will be dependent on your available space, which is mostly a function of the location you lease, unless you build it out yourself. Be careful with too many miniature tables before you know if you have miniature players. Two is probably enough to start. You can always lay table tops on regular tables. Also be sure you start out with a lot of ready to go terrain and table tops, so people can drop by and get a game in on day one. That will make a huge impression. You'll need to decide a game center policy as well. Will you charge for use? How? A hybrid solution works best for us. A lot of customers will buy online and want to play in you store. How will you handle that?

I highly recommend avoiding diversification beyond games right now. The "entertainment model" involves buying used video games and re-selling them. It's definitely an additional source of income, but it will dramatically change the feel of your store. You'll now be attracting and dealing with the general public. Sure you want to do that? I personally think it's the last refuge of a failed game store.

Comics are a nightmare without intense knowledge of that industry. It's not something you can dabble in (although it's easy to dabble in games with a comic book store). Toys can work in a high traffic area, especially malls. New electronic games are a vastly different business model with a tiny margin and should be avoided until you get your feet under you (if ever).

Music is a thorny issue with the various licensing companies. You can't legally play it in your store unless it's clearly for the use of the staff, like a boombox behind the counter. They will sue you. The way around that is a commercial account with a satellite radio provider. I play Cinemagic in my store, a movie soundtrack station on XM.

I kind of agree with the video game thing, which is why I'm not really sold on that idea. I would rather keep it as "low tech" games, but I could see how video games could work under the right circumstances.

I was considering getting a satelite radio account for the store, maybe that would just be a better route to go all around. I have sirrius in my jeep an I love it.

I am planning a lighter inventory at first until I guage customer interest. However, I also kind of worry that if I don't have enough I won't be taken seriously enough. Like, Bob the 40K guru comes in and doesn't see enough blisters on the wall, so he goes and tells all his buddies my store sucks and has no selection, so none of them bother coming to see (and spend) for themselves.

Most of the shops that I have watched continue strong or fold has all been based on what player base they get in there. You really need a strong player base in a couple hobbies to really help your store get off the ground. Word of mouth is a great advertiser.

I think having a very good place to play for gamers to be one of the most important parts of a store. Either vending machines or having your shop near food can help immensely.

I would say run good/fun tournaments, (find good TO's if necessary) and you will do well.

I just want one!
There isnt a GW store on my entire continent



...yes i'm serious

Be mindful of the casual customer, who may be checking the store out for the first time vs. any regulars. Gamers can scare away any potential customers from "their" store. Seen it many, many times.

Location is everything. Don't open up a place on a highway where you can get no foot/bike traffic. Try to get in between as many residential areas as possible, scout the competition.

I'm in South Jersey, and I've been driven off my local shop because of the revolving door discount policies (I have a pile of "no longer accepted" discount cards from purchases of various armies, and nobody wanted to offer me any kind of recoup so I'm strictly online shopper now). So I feel obligated to state "take care of people".

Host events teaching people new games...

The mexican coke thing is a really good idea. I know very little about running a business/obtaining the proper licenses, but soft drinks might be a really easy thing to handle. I imagine they would pay for themselves while keeping customers in the store for longer. (gotta quench your thirst while playing that grueling 2000 point game!)

I know one thing I like about my FLGS is the fact that they send out a monthly or bi-weekly e-newsletter to spread the word about in-store events. All I had to do was sign up and now I don't miss any tourneys if I don't want to.

Something else to think about from the modeling perspective... I've thought about the idea and I would definitely implement it if I were to ever open my own hobby shop would be heavy support for "bit swapping." Basically Kid A would come in, rent a cubby-space for a nominal fee (monthly, one-time, I'm not qute sure), and leave their bitz behind, along with demands for whatever they would like in exchange. Kid B would come in and look at the assorted bits, and propose a trade. Kid A is then notified by eMail. If Kid A's exact demands were met then and there, swap goes through automatically, in case of a counteroffer the swap would require Kid A's approval (which would unfortunately require another trip to the store for Kid B after Kid A's confirmation but that's not so bad from the owner's standpoint) People who use the service who do not have a rented cubby would be charged either a brokerage or storage fee, once again very small.
There are definite benefits and drawbacks to this idea. It might require a significant amount of store space if it becomes too popular, but that's not a bad thing ultimately. The worst flaw in the plan is that it requires a significant amount of management from the store owner, so I guess it would have to be something the store manager really wants to do. That said, I think it would be able to at least pay for itself and even increase foot traffic in the store among the modeling community. I know I would go to my FLGS more often if I knew they had a stock of bitz that fluctuated every other week!

We try to keep consignment items simple. All items are sold for store credit or bought outright. Swapping hurts my head.

romulus571 wrote:
Something else to think about from the modeling perspective... I've thought about the idea and I would definitely implement it if I were to ever open my own hobby shop would be heavy support for "bit swapping." Basically Kid A would come in, rent a cubby-space for a nominal fee (monthly, one-time, I'm not qute sure), and leave their bitz behind, along with demands for whatever they would like in exchange. Kid B would come in and look at the assorted bits, and propose a trade. Kid A is then notified by eMail. If Kid A's exact demands were met then and there, swap goes through automatically, in case of a counteroffer the swap would require Kid A's approval (which would unfortunately require another trip to the store for Kid B after Kid A's confirmation but that's not so bad from the owner's standpoint) People who use the service who do not have a rented cubby would be charged either a brokerage or storage fee, once again very small.

Interesting idea, but it sounds like a logistical nightmare. Unless you find some cheap 'jewelry display' cases or similar (so items can be displayed without requiring intervention) you've created a low-income process that requires a lot of supervision to keep kids from snatching the small bits and such.

I remember a local store used to do binders for Magic cards. Similar idea, really... The cards had a moderate value (I think it was mostly cards in the $1-$20 range, but they might have had pricier cards) and so the binder (full of card protector sheets that made removing cards difficult, but not impossible) had to be kept behind the counter and interested buyers had to look through it at the counter. In this case, the store employee could do some tasks while someone was looking, but had to keep an eye out that no one was snatching cards.

www.rpg.net had a long series written by a game store owner that discussed a lot of useful ideas.

Hi necros, good luck with your store mate, I have the idea US shops are kind of diferent from european ones... being yours bigger and with more extras... But here are some ideas for you.

- You have a big screen, so why not put some of those "how to paint minis" DVD's instead of random films or videogames.

- Have a nice online presence so your clients can check your stuff 24/7

- Organize hobby workshops.

- Have some sort of prizes system rewarding best costumers.

Thats it

Yeah I read through the RPGnet articles. Also I've signed up for the game store resource forum, and I've been listening to the GAMA podcasts from pulpgamer.com, lots of great info in those.

I like the bitz idea, but if I were to feature it it would have to be in a way that's easy to keep track of. I don't wanna spend all day making up SKU's for little bitz packs no one will buy. I am planning to have a website that I'll maintain (I'm currently a web designer so that's a no brainer for me) so I could probably put a bitz swap area there where people can post what they have like the swap shop forum here. I'll also use the site to advertise events and stuff. I'm also thinking about making videos of demos for different games we'll be selling, setting them up as video podcasts too. And of course I'll do a myspace page and facebook and twitter and all that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The tutorial DVD thing sounds like a good idea I might look into that I am also planning to do painting & modeling classes for the kids (grown up kids or the little ones).

I will have a big website to keep my currents up to date with what's going on. Not sure that I'd do an online store though.

I used to game at a store very similar to your description and it was great.

why did you "used to" game there? did they close? did you stop liking it after a while? just curious

They closed because the space they were in got too expensive to keep leasing. I was very sad.

Ah, that sucks. One major challenge I'm going to have is finding a good, and cheap location. I'm not going to be able to afford a mall spot or a "high end" area, but I want a good, visible and accessible location with good parking. Gonna have to do a lot of lease negotiating for a good price. If I can find a place that's been vacant a while, hopefully the landlord will be willing to work with me

My 2c:

I like the idea of selling model kits (e.g. not necessarily trains or RC stuff, but plastic airplanes, cars, etc...) I've been finding it more difficult to find the ones I want. Usually toy stores will carry them, but only a few. There's a big overlap with wargaming and since they're more socially acceptable than our nerd hobbies they might be a nice hook for normals. The place I buy mine now is a nice little mall shop that sells models and board games (no wargamming/rpg stuff).

I'd be a bit sceptical about the whole video game side of things. The TV rental seems a bit capital intensive and risky and IMO the used video game thing is a headache and is already cornered by gamestop.

HOWEVER, I love the idea of some arcade cabinets. It's getting really hard to find a good pinball machine these days.

That's what I think's cool: here are serious suggestions:

Web presence is key, figure out early what you're going to be doing on the web and allocate resources to it. A lot of game shops just have a few static pages and that just doesn't mesh with the current state of nerd culture.
At a minimum you need to put your store hours (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUBLISH THESE ) and location. Also, you need to put some effort into presenting what you stock. Don't just list the companies, that's aggravating. If you can't do a complete catalog at least list which product line (Do you sell the full range of WHFB & 40K, what about specialist games. Is your stock comprehensive or just a half dozen boxes of FB skeletons (I've seen this before). Do you sell D&D? What about the miniatures, do you just have the core books or do you have a full line of rules supplements and adventures.) This may seem basic, but I'm writing it because so many people don't do it.

Forums are a good idea as well. Not to compete with Dakka or anything, but to allow customers a place to set up games, etc...

Finally, in regards to location: if you have a choice, remember a lot of gamers are students and don't have a car. I don't know what Philly is like, but being near a bus route is a big advantage around here.

I will definitely have model kits to special order, but I want to try and carry a few high end, uber detailed kits. Like when I open, I would just maybe have a few kits and then if people seem interested I'll add some more. Mostly tanks and things that people can use for IG or ork conversions, etc. Maybe some space ships from sci fi movies & shows too.

I'm not sold on the video game thing yet. I guess I'd have to see it in action at another store. At the moment it's definitely not in my opening plans, but maybe something to expand to later. I think I'd add a few arcade games before used video games if anything for atmosphere. I know there's a used video game distributor in the area, and I think they lease them in addition to selling them. I would just have a couple and hopefully rotate the classics in and out. Sinistar is my all time favorite, so I'd be sure to keep that one around if I can find it I named my WOW warlock Sinistar.. hehe

And I do intend to have a very strong web presence. I haven't seen many stores do really anything besides basic sites. My plan is to have a homepage more along the lines of BOLS as a big blog, announcing new games and goings on in the store. As I also have a video editing background (used to run 1/4 of an indie film company) product pages will feature videos we'll make with demos of the games. Like little 2 minute trailers of me or an employee showing the basics. Though I don't expect to do an online store, I might advertise more high end things like the $500 uber chess sets online. Maybe list them on ebay in super long auctions with a buy it now as my list price.

And yes, forums will be used for arranging games and stuff, but I intend to link up all the major news sites too.

The bus stop idea is a good one, I didn't think of that.

I'm trying to come up with good names. About 10 years ago I was planning a gaming cyber cafe for network PC games, but decided against it since the interwebs seemed to really be taking over for gaming. I was gonna call it "Cyberworld Game Center", I thought of using that name here but I think it implies video games too much. Another idea that just popped into my head today was "Idle Hands Game Center" or game shop or game world or games & stuff. Meaning your hands won't be idle if you come in and play. I dunno, something like that.. hehe

I like "emporium" in the name... ;-)

It's always good to hear of someone setting up their own business, especialy in challenging financial times.

I have run a couple of small busineses myself and there are a few golden rules which apply to all small businesses.

1/Hire an accountant. It is imperative that you don't screw up on your tax returns, this can lead to a huge fine, also you will want to concentrate on making your business work rather than counting pennies/cents. An accountant won't cost you all that much and a good one will make/save you double what you pay them.

2/Hold regular stock takes. Not only will this help you not to run out of stock but it will identify which lines are selling well, and what your customers want. Stock takes are also a good time to clean your merchandise and shelves.

3/Keep it clean. Every morning take ten minutes to run a vacuum around and make sure there are no skid marks in the toilet, one o f the biggest turn offs to a customer is a dirty or messy store, if things aren't easy to find then customers will go elsewhere. It is often helpful to have a checklist in place covering things like changinf duff lightbulbs and emptying the bins. You could also add other daily tasks to this such as making sure you have change in the till.

4/Good staff. Don't hire someone just because they are a friend or can paint well, your staff need to be friendly but not pushy and likeable but not annoying. Have them wear a uniform, this helps customers identify them better. Don't be affraid to make them work, when the store is quiet get them to clean the racks. Also don't be affraid to reprimand them if they aren't up to scratch.

5/Be ruthless. If a line isn't selling then stop stocking it, all it is doing is taking up space that could be making you money, if the customers want to buy action figures and not Warhammer then sell action figures.

6/Focus. When you start out decide on your core product, in your case GW, and support it fully. The worst thing you can do is try to please everyone and end up pleasing no one. To begin with stay away from high end goods which you are not familiar with. Items like model trains are a huge initial investment and you could end up having to sell them at a loss to get rid of them. Leave it a few weeks to find out what your customers are asking for before you start to stock it, just because one person says it will sell well doesn't mean that others will want it.

I hope that some of this helps, if you want any more advice please feel free to PM me.

Good luck with your venture

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