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So I having been toying with ideas on starting my own business and I would love to open a game store in the future. So here is the big question...

What makes a game store great?

What brings you back time and again?

I know what I want in one but what do others?

What I love about mine is that its a very "Familiar" atmosphere. What I mean by this is, everyone knows each other, and the store owner does his best to keep up with people and what they like. He'll let us know if he finds something cool that we might like, and orders special interest items all the time. He does his best to help new guys (he was a HUGE help to me when I started) and does his best to help us save money. He even gave me tips and some demo games to teach me tricks the veteran players use (things like wound shenanigans for example)

Those and many more reasons are why I don't even think of going to any store besides his. I've worked with small businesses before, and I know that repeat customers are all that keep them going. I even try to pay cash so they don't have to deal with the card fees (those do add up)

Biggest things I look for are:

1. Friendly atmosphere. We have FLGS abbreviated for a reason.

2. Fair prices. Hard to do with GW stuff, but if he sells other stuff at a fair price or helps give small discounts that helps. Obviously this is rare, but even things like small sales can help.

3. Good selection/availability: You can be the most awesome store ever, but if you only have 2 boxes of guardsmen and a table, I won't be by often. Obviously small stores can't stock tons of cool stuff, but mine gets around it by saying "hey, if you don't see something you're looking for, ask us, we'd be happy to order it for you." We get the added bonus of not having to pay shipping, just as if it had been on the shelf.

4. Good regulars. This is the hardest to do, but if you have a cool store and a good attitude, this shouldn't be a problem at all. Just network like crazy, hold events, build publicity, whatever, but once you get some nice people who will hang out, that helps out a ton

Decent price and selection.

Helpfull staff and members are the most important thing. With any hobby it can be intimidating when you first start so having a good atmosphere and friendly people can really help. Its self-propagating too because if people were helped a great deal as a beginner they are more likely to help beginners themselves.

For me, the best thing to have is a nice and competent staff. Most game stores will have comics, card games, and miniature games. A well rounded staff that knows all aspects of the stuff that they are selling is a must.

I'll also help out by telling you about my favorite store, it's fat ogre and is located in northern Houston. It is located 1 1/2 hours from my house and the route takes me through inner city Houston (long story short, pain in the ass). A local GW is literally 5 minutes away, but I drive to this one every Saturday. The store has room, has no carpet (no stench), and humidity control units. They have magic cards, comic books, and tons of miniatures, they are the perfect "nerd" store/hangout. They host 9pm magic tournaments on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and have monthly tournaments for flames of war, 40k, fantasy, and warmahords. They have a nice A/V room that they also have comedy out of every month.

Last Saturday was their monthly 40k tournament ($15 each person, $10 goes to prize support, $5 goes to pizza for lunch). Upon getting to the tournament that can only hold 20 people, about 26 people show up. The store owner goes and buys three 4 foot by 6 foot pieces of particle board and sets up 3 more tables to accommodate everyone. Their tournaments are also 100% cash in and cash out. Most stores do not do this, but they do expect people to buy from the store during that day (which we lobby to everyone!).

They are very open about reminding people that they are a business and will not shy from asking people to buy things for the sake of keeping the store open instead of just buying things that they need. This openness pays off, and creates a "greater good" atmosphere with the patrons. This openness creates such a community that I continually see the regulars stop a game and talk/sell to customers looking over items even if it takes hours.

So the tldr version:

Be knowledgeable
Have competent staff that can sell comics to the biggest comic nerd, or be able to pith 40k to a dad and his son
Spend money on the little investments like tile, humidity controllers, and nice tables/terrain to play 40k on.
Promote a community that is unified, not split between the hobby they play
Don't be afraid to be open about keeping sales figures up and keeping the store in good shape.
Promote the store: Facebook, local bloggers, and tournaments
Most of all, Be optimistic, nice, and accommodating

BTW if you ever find your way into the Houston area, make your way to Fat Ogre: http://www.fatogre.com/

Nice prices, the availability of playing boardgames(like Warhammer) and good attitude.
My 2 cents.

Great Staff

Great Stock

Great Location

Great Prices

The above make any store great but

Great People

Great Gaming Space

Great Competitions

What do you want in a gaming store shadow? Would be interesting to see how what you want lines up against others expectations.

..discounts for forum moderators ...?

#optimism

Mix of friendly staff and good stock, I've seen far too many gaming stores fold when they've had a lot of old games and gear that people don't really want and this has meant they can't get the newest stuff in, so the business goes elsewhere.

When it comes to retail the "trick" seems to be running the store in such a way that the customers kind of assume a protectiveness about it and see it as "theirs" whilst at the same time acknowledging who actually runs things and is in charge.

Thats odd reds*n, I woulda said a tax for online forum mods...but thats just me (i kid, i kid)

I second carlos, knowing what your ideas are in terms of what you expect to do would help us brutally disabuse, I mean help shed light on some of your points.

For my part, knowing where you stand in regards to the staff helps. I struggle very much socially, yet the guys at my local GW know just how much to talk to me so that I feel real welcome, yet without making me just shell up and hide in a corner. They picked it up after I'd only gone twice. That'd be a real talent for your staff to have (it'd have to be learnt, but it'll make people just feel oh so comfortable).

Also important is a fair but firm level of control. If someone on staff is offensive (I don't mean they happen to rub them the wrong way, but any gay/racist/you know all that jazz stuff) then it has got to mean termination. Rudeness on the part of customers is a bit trickier, you can't swing the banhammer like crazy, you have to have a gentle touch, and again that'll come with experience dealing with gamers and our fragile egos haha.

Finally, I second the calls for good stock and order handling (if you are going to do that) and availability of tables, but in terms of stock don't let one game over rule all the others. Find the balance that suits your area, but you don't want someone coming in with magic or for an RPG and not having anything available for them. Similarly, you don't want card players covering all the warhammer tables in their odds and ends.

Hope that helps a wee bit.

A good group of regulars is really what makes my FLGS good (we hang out on weekends) and when we are around the store thrives and people tend to buy more when they come in to trade in old games or "just browse"

I'd suggest PMing Mikhaila and Sergeant Horse, both have been running great shops for several years now.

For me:

Convinet Location
Good Selection
Good Prices
Easy to get to (i.e. Public Transport/Parking near by)
Freindly Atmosphere - Both shop owner and players
Gaming Table

I think the following should be remembered:

As fun and lovely as a gamestore 'should be', so to speak, I worry that those who set up such businesses are shooting themselves in the foot if they love the hobby.

I say this because, at the end of the day, you are running a business... When I imagine what it must be like to run such a store, I imagine there being punters who love the place, but just come in to play and don't actually buy much beyond the odd pot of paint or some glue.

I dunno, it just seems to me like gamers might be too 'nice' to run a store; that at the end of the day if you care for invigorating the hobby, you won't make a profit.

I look for unusual stock that you dont see at every store you walk into. Cool terrain/gaming boards, friendly, helpful staff, and fair prices.

I did fall in love with my local store here when it turned out they stocked Micro Art Studios.

I then fell swiftly out of love when they, on three separate occasions, gave me different dates (pulled out of their butts) for when some varnish would arrive in stock... messed me around for over a month before I just went and bought it online.

I guess people would call me "middle-aged", given that my 40th birthday is this week. (Shameless plug for Happy Birthday! I know!) But my other purpose for saying this is I think I am in one of the ideal demographic that a Game Store needs. I make decent money, I have twin boys that will be 13 this year, and I grew up playing role playing games, played Magic in college, etc.

A little over 2 years ago, the D&D "Red Box" came back out. I decided I was going to buy it for one of my boys for Christmas because it seemed like the kind of thing he would like (and, to be honest, most of the toys I buy for my kids are so I can hang out with them more!) I could have bought it from Walmart or Target or online, but I decided to go to a relatively new game store, that I had never been to before, but had recently opened in out struggling mall because I try very hard to support niche stores whenever possible.

A little over 2 years later, I am at my FLGS at least twice a week, D&D Encounters on Wed night with my boys and 40K games on Sundays. I have bought a couple hundred dollars worth of D&D/Pathfinder/etc role playing books and several hundred dollars worth of 40K and Warmachine stuff in the last couple years. Almost everything that I buy is from my FLGS. If he doesn't have it, I ask him and he usually orders it, if he can't order it then I will look elsewhere.

How did this happen? My game store owner was very approachable by a Dad who was not "cool" anymore, had fallen away from the Gaming Life when he got married and had kids, job, etc. He has space in his store to play games, and had regularly scheduled games that people could play (in this case, D&D encounters). He played the games with people, helping newbies get into games and making more sales in the process. I brought my son to a D&D encounters session and decided to keep coming back. We all got to know each other and one of the guys at the table mentions 40K (could have been the owner, I don't remember) and we played a game a few days later.

A lot of what happens at a game store, makes the game store very little money directly. D&D Encounters only costs about $20 to get started, because you should buy one of the Heroes books to create your character and learn how to play. Then it might make another $20 when each session starts up (about every 13 weeks) because a new book comes out with character options, etc. that some will buy. $80 per year for that amount of floor space is not a good return, but the indirect sales add up because those guys come back to play other games, buy other books, etc.

I would agree with a lot of what Tye said. Also respect to you Tye for buying toys for your kids so you can spend more time with them rather than buying toys for them to keep them occupied so they leave you alone.

Well I must say I have received a huge number of responses beyond what I had imagined so I will try to respond to the inquiries quick as I can.

First off what attracts me to a game store..
1- Employees that know games
2- Space- I've been to terribly small stores
3- Feeling welcome when I walk in
4- Awesome leagues, events and tournaments

What are current stores don't have-
1- Good stock
2- willingness to listen to what customers want
3- good planning for tournaments

I look forward to more input

Lighting. Nice lighting. It invites people in and doesn't make it scary to newbies.
Good staff. Make sure your staff are not above Conversations or talking. You should feel like you are talking to friends.
Good game space.
Rules about acceptable behavior.

My FLGS would probably be firestorm games in cardiff. Ive only been there twice, the first time when a friend introduced me to warhammer and I watched a game the second the other day with the misses to pick up some paint for her seekers of slaanesh or as she calls them (ant eater dragons).

They were really friendly answered all my questions. The first time I was in there I didnt interact much with the staff but when I did they were really friendly and the manger was taking someone through how to play warmachine which to me made me want to return.

For me.....a local gamestore could do really well.

I think a good selection of items, coupled with reasonable prices and some tables to get a game in would be great.

I also think staff will make or break, I dont want to Diss GW but some of the staff really worry me.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
For me.....a local gamestore could do really well.

I think a good selection of items, coupled with reasonable prices and some tables to get a game in would be great.

I also think staff will make or break, I dont want to Diss GW but some of the staff really worry me.

Good selection

Good service

Good ability to play there.

Examples- one of the best stores I have been have been holes in the walls. Yet I would drive out of my way to get there because the old guy who ran the place could get me anything I wanted on short notice. great service.

Another store had EVERYTHING. Very small, no playing space, but if you couldnt find it there you couldnt find it anywhere. That was a store I saw in PA visiting friends.

Bad examples- my local store. No selection of GW and nothing but a handful of warmahordes models. On top of that, while they have a ton of playing space, play times for warmahorde last I looked was Wensday 6pm to 9pm. Yeah, middle of the week, 3 hours max? Thanks but I'll cross you off my list.

For me, the store has to be clean. There is a store in MD where I live that has a large gaming space upstairs with lots of tables, but the place was always filthy. Ratty carpet, dirty walls and a bathroom that was so gross I felt like I needed rubber gloves. Don't even get me started on the smell either. Nothing turns me off more than a store that looks like it hasn't been cleaned in years.

Making friends with a school is never a bad idea.

Our FLGS provided prizes and valuable assistance for our club and I directed all my students there when they needed to make their own purchases or when I bought things for the school.

Samurai_Eduh wrote:For me, the store has to be clean. There is a store in MD where I live that has a large gaming space upstairs with lots of tables, but the place was always filthy. Ratty carpet, dirty walls and a bathroom that was so gross I felt like I needed rubber gloves. Don't even get me started on the smell either. Nothing turns me off more than a store that looks like it hasn't been cleaned in years.

I know exactly what you mean... I went to a store matching that description once and never returned because of what you so aptly described.

Gaming stores have to walk a fine line. If it becomes too much like someone's basement, it might be cozy for the regulars, but you won't get new blood to come to the store. I've seen a couple stores in my time that become the hangout, but very little is purchased. Stores die shortly thereafter.

The great stores have regulars, yes, but also less regular regulars, and a steady flow of occasional customers. All of these folks need to feel welcome, comfortable, and supported so they will buy the gak you are selling. As such, there needs to be dress, hygiene, and behavior standards for regulars, who become the face of the store. These can be unspoken or whatever, but keep in mind...

If you get one resident douchebag, all the quality people, who have other options, will go elsewhere. Then your store becomes the stereotypical geek hole that all new customers run from ASAP. The least desirable person will set the bar.

I liked what someone mentioned where the community openly acknowledges the need to pay where you play. Too often, a negative mentality settles in, and people will hang all day at the store, snivelling and driving away new customers with negativity, while all the while talking about the better pricing online. This is the death of a store... If the owner doesn't control it.

Edit- autocorrect fail

The best store I have ever been to is FTW games in Richmond VA.

1. Well lit clean
2. Amazin terrain makes you want to play there both GW and truescale! I love the outerspace tables for Firestorm.
3. All in for GW, PP, FOW, MTG, Spartan Games, Mercs, most Infinity, tons of board games, resin companies bases and bits, basing and modeling supplies, and several full lines of paints
4. An event or something every night they are open, with weekend having assemble BN boxes ala GW or tournaments
5. All the employees are knowledgeable in each system

Best of all is the synergy of the store attracts regular people into gaming! Imagine that. People arent afraid of the obese neck beards with Cheeto fingers because the clentelle respectable and don't personify the Simpsons comic store owner.

I prefer a clean store with helpful people, and a place to play. The employees must be as professional as any place; some game stores honestly feel like "elite gamers clubs" as all the employees are avid gamers that let their employee discount feed their hobby, and sometimes you walk in the store, you can't tell who works there and who doesn't! (not good).

Honestly, I don't care about prices as long as the staff is nice and knowledgeable, and the store has space available for gaming. Even better, my FLGS has a weekly league that runs for six weeks at a time, with prizes going to whoever takes first, second and third. Given that gaming stores (in Minnesota, at least) are few and far between, having one that virtually guarantees a game every week is a huge thing to have.

Truth be told, I'd be most concerned that:
A. You have good selection (a store my friend frequents has a very poor stock of 40k stuff)
B. You have gaming space
and C. You have some organized form of gathering players together for 40k. My FLGS has had great success in running a league, and they've been doing it for years. Honestly, that's what keeps me coming back to it, week after week - the fact that I know with near-certainty that when I drive half an hour to get to the shop, I'll have an opponent waiting for me. That is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to guarantee return visits.

Prices would be nice, but given all the additional overhead costs of running a store (instead of, say, running something out of your garage) just having a good atmosphere would make me forget that I'm paying GW prices for things. I can get cheaper stuff on the internet, true, but I feel a strong sense of loyalty to keeping my FLGS running with my money just because it's such a great place to be.

Thank you everyone for all the amazing input and insight. If anyone actually owns a shop that posts I would love to hear about triumphs and advice.

I will still be compiling this list for awhile as I get my plans together.

The people.

Quite simply, most stores will be alright, but the great ones are made by great people.

A great owner/manager will ensure all the basics are taken care, a great staff will be friendly, well kept, and knowledgeable, great regulars will foster a positive attitude and make for a great circle of gaming.

You could have the best lit, largest store with the best selection, but I wouldn't go near it if the people suck. Or smell.