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My friend and I have worked for a long time on bringing our hobby store to life, but we are still looking around for a good area to settle.
We have our sights set on Woodbridge in Virgina, but don't know the area well enough to have an idea of where a hobby store would be most likely to succeed.
So I'm asking if any residents would willing to post any specific places to avoid (such as traffic dead-zones, places that have had repeated failed businesses) and places we shouldn't definitely look at. (A neighbor with a lot of gamers)
If you live in Virginia in general... are there any places you would like to see a large hobby store open?

BTW the store will specialize in all games and not just one specifically. We plan to have it be a large store around 3,000 sf that will host multiple tournaments.
The name of the store is still in question, but it most likely will be "The Critical Hit" ("hobby store" in small letters underneath)

I'm in central Va, around richmond. I know there's a game store out towards charlottesville and there's a huge one in richmond in the midlothian area (FTW games)

As for the northern Va area, I think there's a game store in that region, though it could just be a GW store. Haven't heard from around there in a while, but I would recommend looking into whats in the northern VA neighborhood as well as whats nearby in maryland. You are far enough away from us down here in central va to not be competing for customers.

 juraigamer wrote:
I'm in central Va, around richmond. I know there's a game store out towards charlottesville and there's a huge one in richmond in the midlothian area (FTW games)

As for the northern Va area, I think there's a game store in that region, though it could just be a GW store. Haven't heard from around there in a while, but I would recommend looking into whats in the northern VA neighborhood as well as whats nearby in maryland. You are far enough away from us down here in central va to not be competing for customers.

I'm not to worried about the stores themselves, but the amount of hobbyists in the state and where they seem to congregate.

i live in woodbridge...there is a good amount of people into GW here.

gamesparlor in chantilly is a hit

 Generalian wrote:


I'm not to worried about the stores themselves, but the amount of hobbyists in the state and where they seem to congregate.

Couldn't help you with that. If you're relying on pre-existing gamers though, without any plan on how to bring others into the hobby, I suggest looking for other work.

Springfield had a GW store that closed, there is also one in Fair Oaks Mall and another in the Sugarland Plaza.

As far as independent game shops, there is Curio Cavern in Springfield, but I believe that it is mainly a board/card game shop. Some others that I know of are Game Parlor in Chantilly, Game Vault in Fredricksburg, Huzzah Hobbies (the shop I frequent) in Ashburn, Lessburg Hobbies & Collectibles (I buy a lot of paint from here, they play Warma/Hordes & FoW on the weekends I believe), Victory Comics in Falls Church, Eagle & Empire in Alexandria, and FTW Games all the way down in Richmond/Midlothian.

There are really quite a few shops in the NoVA area, so finding an area relying on preexisting gamers not already loyal to a store and also a great spot to start a business may be hard.

Just out of curiosity, why would you try to open a store in an area you are not 100% familiar with? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

I spent last summer in Haymarket, VA and in those 3 months, I would only go to Game Parlor. Going to be pretty rough with that competition that close.

There are a ton of gamers in that area, but there's also a very high concentration of stores/shopping options. Open a a store in an area where there's no competition.

It feels like there are a large number of established stores between DC and Richmond va, not so much NoVa. Only 2 plus gw bunker between DC and Baltimore.

Your "clubs" are going to be ironfist gamers in Virginia and beltway gamers in md/DC. They are going to be the group of vets you would need to make inroads to. And Novaopen is your major local event and something you probably should attend for networking purposes.

I will say one thing about "this area" is gamers and groups have often been defensive about territory and have almost clan-like loyalty to stores. As someone who bops around, I have been given "crap" because I would go to multiple stores. Not as bad as it used to be, but clubs who have. Good store often get offended when people play at or suppor a rival store as they see it as zero sum economics for both store health as well as gamer base.

Politics always exist but the gamer groups are all great guys when I have attended their events.

There are three major game stores in Richmond, VA:

One Eyed Jacques - mostly M:TG, board games, and D&D, has been around for 25 years in the Carytown area

FTW Games - home of Spikey Bits (formerly Battlewagon Bits) - absolutely huge game store, Warhammer, 40k, Malifaux, Dropzone Commander, Dystopian Legions/Wars, Heroclix, etc. Huge as in it takes up three stores in the shopping mall it's based in.

Dragon's Den - just opened, board game rentals, demo days, Warmachine, Infinity, Warhammer, 40k.

Check with the I95 gamers and such; there's a ton of historical players from Richmond to DC and any game store that would carry the full range of Warlord, Victrix, Perry, would probably get some good traffic

I live in Stafford, just south of Woodbridge and north of Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania. I actually think Stafford is a decent spot for a store, as we dont currently have one. I know both Woodbridge and Fredericksburg do.

PM me.

LValx, If Woodbridge has a game store please provide a link or store name.

Generalian,
The only one I knew of in Woodbridge was Games Parlor Woodbridge. Off of I-95. Large gaming area. Large Stock. I know I enjoyed gaming there as did others. No discounts on any product that I remember. The store is now closed. My gaming friends and I now realize what we were taking for granted. It's missed. Take from that what you will.

Best Stores in the area now are listed in the post above; Games Parlor, Game Vault and Huzzah Hobbies. Go visit them and take in what they're doing. Particularly the last two. I haven't been to GP Chantilly in years but I've been told they're still surviving.

Keep in mind what nkelsch pointed out. He has a good point. While many games are played at many stores in the area there are a few that "Specialize" in certain games but I think it could be due to the "fractured" customer base.

I would suggest looking at Huzzah Hobbies as a good example of what sounds like you want to do. He, the owner, started out in a small store not much bigger than the typical GW shop, but was able to attract the customers mostly through word of mouth as it's not in an easily accessible to the masses shopping center, being that one has to try to get there in order to get there and can't just stumble upon it while browsing. He's turned it into a shop that host both a 18 player wargaming event and a MtG prerelease simultaneously with some 50+ people. Huzzah sells a variety of games from the big companies as well as smaller ones. It also has a real solid stock of MtG.
GP Chantilly is somehow holding on. It's the place in the area to play GW games on a regular basis without actually going to a GW store. Their stock is really quite old and just sits there taking up space.
The other store that I really know stuff about is Leesburg Hobbies and Collectibles. They specialize in trains but do sell Warmachine and play it on Friday nights at the shop.

So advice, other than look for a different area, look into the MtG and Pokemon TCG fan base in the Woodbridge area. Those will most likely be your cash cows and the ones that keep the doors open for the wargamers to buy product and play in the shop. Also start with a small space. Let popularity be what allows you to expand to new venues. Lastly, do more research on the area. Put up posters advertising for a free survey so you can get data on the area to see if there's community interest in a game/card shop. Worst comes to worst make a website for your potential store and put the survey there. Best of luck to ya!

I live in the NoVa area. Woodbridge is ok. There are a few gaming stores up closer to DC, but none of them are that great (from my limited exposure there). There isn't actually anything in DC itself (except for one store, Labyrinth Games, which is more focussed on board games/card games than miniature gaming or RPGs) so that may be an untapped market. I guess Woodbridge would have the advantage of being a lot cheaper than DC, especially if you're looking for 3,000 square feet.

There isn't really much in terms of gaming stores in Arlington/Alexandria, which are also fairly populous and affluent areas, so could be worth considering. Falls Church has Victory Comics and Compleat Strategist (I am not a great fan of either due to slightly odd staff/customers, but they're ok). I don't have any particular business knowledge, though, so perhaps there's some reason you thought about Woodbridge rather than those.

I agree with previous posters that it seems a little odd to be considering opening a store in an area you're not familiar with. Your location is listed as GW Springfield so if that's correct I'd have thought you knew this area quite well?

Well, like most others, I'll mention Game Parlor in Chantilly. They had a Woodbridge location until about 2 years when they shut it down. However, I'm not sure that's an indictment of the location, or how the store was run. Game Parlor in Chantilly is still hanging on, but I often wonder how they're doing it. 90% of their stock is the same stuff that has been sitting on the shelves for 5+ years. They have a big rack of 8 or 10 computers (with big CRT monitors) that I suppose they put in for LAN parties at one point - but they just sit there taking up space. They never offer any discounts (they have 20 year old games sitting on the shelf that they're still asking $40 for). They charge $2 to play at their tables, and they make little effort to improve their store (leaky sinks & toilets, ripped carpets) - and when they do want to make an improvement, they put out a collection jar for it. Staff is friendly, particularly the owner Cindy, but they don't really seemed that "tuned in" to the overall gaming scene. Hadn't heard of "Tabletop Day" when I asked them about it back at the beginning of the year, and when I explained it, and offered to run some games at the store, they declined..."oh, we don't really participate in things like that..."

I think they survive based just on customer loyalty - and they have one of the best play areas I've seen in a store - nice big wooden tables vice folding tables, and miniature play area with really big tables.

So, the point here it, if you're really serious about this...take a look at Game Parlor...all the things they're doing wrong, and do those things right. I can't speak much about the other stores in the area - a new one, "Comics and Gaming" just opened in the heart of "Old Town" Fairfax - I stopped in once, small store, and clean - but they admitted they were focused on "Magic The Gathering" because that was a big seller. They had a lot of board games, though I don't recall much in the way of miniatures.

Game Parlor's store in Woodbridge, was near Potomac Mills mall, btw. If you're looking for an area with a lot of traffic near it, that's probably a good bet.

 HokieStone wrote:

Game Parlor's store in Woodbridge, was near Potomac Mills mall, btw. If you're looking for an area with a lot of traffic near it, that's probably a good bet.

That is true, it's a pretty busy area! If you are expecting a lot of kids, though, note that area is not really pedestrian-friendly at all. So that may or may not be an advantage to you.

Well, as much as I'd love to say Woodbridge could use a new hobby store since I live here, I haven't seen a huge amount of success around here. If you're looking to make a real profit, I can't think of anywhere in Woodbridge you'd like to be. If you're content running a small business that just manages to pay the bills and give you enough for a simple but fun living, this is the place. If you want to expand and have it be more than a neighborhood hobby store, you need to look elsewhere.

Actually, one place comes to mind... You've picked a good time be starting it now though because there is some new amazing real-estate in the stone bridge center next to wegmans (Address for reference: 14801 Dining Way
Woodbridge, VA 22191)
There are plenty of people hanging about around here and it's next to a community college campus that just got a new building and is continiously expanding. As a previous student there, I would say a lot of people go to the shopping center between class if they don't want to go back home since all of the commuters from up to an hour south go to this campus.

All of the other populated places in Woodbridge have been tried and failed with. But I strongly recommend looking into this location, if you ask anyone in Woodbridge it's pretty much the best place to start a new business. Rumors say they're building a stadium or something there too.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, I'd love to help get a new hobby store going here. Also I need a job..

How much effort have you put into a business plan? If you fail to plan, then plan to fail. Asking people for locations tells me that you have not put much thought into a strategy. You should start smaller and then grow. If you're a gamer, be prepared to not game while you own a shop as you will have less time. Also know that breaking even for most gaming shops equates to being successful. It's tough out there.

Dakka is a great resource though. Talk to other shop owners and see what makes them successful.

I imagine the Stone Bridge shopping plaza would have sky high rents. Wegmans, PF Changs, and Apple stores tend to drive up rates. Be a heck of a great location, though. Wegmans is food Valhalla.

There remains a GW in Springfield, it just moved over to one of the smaller strip malls. The one in Potomac Mills closed, but the one in Fair Oaks remains open.

Just to add a plug for the Dakka store finder feature, I hope all these stores are listed (if not... LIST THEM!) and it gives you a good idea of where the competition is, but also where the community is.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/core/store_finder.jsp

I live in Arlington and have been going to Game Parlor since I was young and lived out closer to Chantilly

The store is pretty beat up and good luck trying to get a 40K game there. The regular players aren't a friendly lot overall

I agree with the previous poster in that Alexandria, Arlington, or Fairfax would all be great locations for a store and you would not have much competition at all

Fairfax would probably be your cheapest bet. I can guarantee you I would come out there to spend money and have somewhere to play that's for sure

I can tell you that game parlor definitely has the fell of a store whose past glories are long gone. However you can get something there that are far out of availability. The gaming scene there leads towards warmahordes and card gamers.

Huzzah is a paragon of FLGS go look at how it is run it feels welcoming to the customer and is very neat and clean providing a wonderful atmosphere. This is A Warmahordes and 40k store.

Sugarland GW is where most of the fantasy players in the area are. Its a GW though so it has its own inherent downsides.

If Iwas placing a store I would look at Vienna or Fairfax however in Hoodbridge you would find cheaper rents probably.

I live in the city of Fairfax, and I'd recommend against trying to open a gaming store here. The wargaming crowd is split between the IFL guys who play in Chantilly, and two fairly healthy GW shops in Springfield and the Fair Oaks Mall. Hobbyworks also has a small circle of players who come in on Tuesday nights. Tack on that a new card gaming store just opened its doors back in the spring that's only a few blocks from the Mason campus and you'll find that anywhere you try to open is going to put you in direct competition with someone established.

If you're not amazing, which only two gaming stores in the area (Huzzah and Drop Zone up in Glen Burnie) fit that bill, you're going to have a hard time siphoning off enough customers to make a go of it. Another thing to remember is this.

Wargaming doesn't actually do very well for retailers in relation to the amount of shelf space it requires and floor space it takes to support. Ask damn near anyone who runs a gaming store and they'll tell you that it's the Magic players who keep the doors open.

If you're looking to open up something in the NoVA area, I'd think somewhere out in PG County would be your best bet. Get close to Bolling and the the Beltway and the Metro and you might do alright.

There's a GW out PG County (Bowie) already, although that's not really Metro-accessible. The Metro idea is a good one, but I don't know where would be best... Falls Church and Springfield are fairly accessible, not sure about the other end of the Beltway though. I went to a gaming store in Rockville once, which was ok. Maybe somewhere like Silver Spring? It has cheaper areas and is fairly easy to get to from DC/parts of the greater metro area.

I still think Arlington would be a good place if you can find somewhere with decent space and rent, but I have a local bias.